The Road Less Traveled By
by civillove
Summary: Continuation of my Andy Core stories. Follows the season 1 and 2 stories On the Road with the Winchesters, On this Road Forevermore
1. Chapter 1: The Magnificent Seven Part 1

yeah this is long past due, but hey, it took me forever to find some scripts. and its summer, i went on vacation. but here it is, my new season 3 story. i'll try and keep adding chapters quicker then i did this one, please pray my muse doesn't run away, happy reading and comments are always welcome :D enjoy!

o0o0o0o

Title: The Road Less Traveled By  
Season 3 Story

Chapter 1: The Magnificent Seven Part 1

_Sam turned and I could see his shoulders tensing. "How long do you get?" He asked, voice breaking._

_I looked down, tears filling my eyes as well. Dean put an arm around me and brought me into his chest. I buried my head in his shoulder._

"_One year," He said softly, it vibrating against my face. "I've got one year."_

_I started to walk towards Dean to get in the car when I felt a popping sensation and a rush of liquid ran down my legs. I moaned softly and held onto my stomach._

"_Andy?" Dean asked. Sam rounded the car and took hold of my arm as I started to bend at the waist a little._

_I looked up at Dean. "Dean, I think my water just broke."_

O0o0o0o0 One Month Later 0o0o0o0o

"Dean, you're putting it on backwards."

He scoffed. "I am not."

"Oh, really?" I smirked and he rolled his eyes, picking it up to look at it again. "Is that why Riley had a bootie on her hand instead of on her foot?"

Dean frowned. "I thought this was the bootie and this was the little glove…thingy." Riley cooed, like she was laughing at him.

I smiled and took the footie pajamas from him and held them up so he could see. "Okay, so," I showed him the booties first. "See the bottom of these?" He nodded. "They have this material, that if she was in her walking phase, she wouldn't slide on hardwood floors. And this," I motioned to the mitten like gloves on the other end. "Are little gloves that come off. So we can take them off when she sleeps."

Dean sighed. "Why do all of her clothes have to be so complicated?"

I snorted as I gently drew Riley's arm through the sleeves. "It isn't complicated at all. You're just an idiot when it comes to baby clothes, babe."

"I dressed Sam all the time." He stated. I smiled as I looked over at him and he was intently watching me dress her so he knew how to do it. Of course, then he casually looked away like he didn't need any guidance.

I stepped back from the crib a little. "Well, little boy clothes are different from girl's clothes. Come here."

He stepped closer and smiled softly as he looked inside the crib at Riley. She gurgled happily when she saw Dean and started to kick her feet. I kissed his head and ran my hand along his back. "Button her up."

He gently reached inside the crib and stroked her cheeks. I smiled as I watched him. Riley took one of his hands and started wrapping her fingers around his own. She started sucking on his ring finger and she scrunched her nose and pushed his hand back.

"You don't taste very good, I guess."

Dean grinned that dirty smile that made my heart wrench and my stomach do flip flops. "That's not what you said last night."

I blushed a dark crimson and smacked his ass. "Keep it G, horny boy. She probably soaks up everything we say like a sponge these days."

Dean buttoned her pajama's up and picked her up out of the crib. She settled against his chest automatically and I smiled as he sat down next to me. "Probably a good thing Sam took her in her stroller when we were doing the deed then. A lot of profanities seem to come out of your mouth when…"

"Dean!" I cut him off and he laughed.

I rolled my eyes and leaned closer to him to look at Riley. She had her eyes closed and was resting her head on Dean's shoulder. I gently stroked her back and I felt Dean lean down and kiss her head.

"She's perfect." He said softly and I smiled, kissing her nose before I pulled back.

"Well, look who made her."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "Was that a joke I just heard Ms. Core?"

"Learned from the best I'm afraid." I smiled at him and he came closer and kissed my lips gently.

God it was like jump starting an engine. Blood seemed to flow faster, heart pounded harder. Everything seemed to jump start and stay at an accelerating speed. He cupped my face and stroked my cheek gently. He turned his body towards me and moved a little more onto the bed. The action made Riley shift and she whined softly. Dean moved back as Riley opened her eyes. She whimpered and I kissed her head.

"Shh, baby." Dean said softly, rocking her back to sleep. He looked up at me. "Looks like we need to get Sam to babysit again."

I smirked. "So we can have sex? Think I'll pass."

Granted, I hardly ever told him no these days. I mean, I wasn't pregnant anymore and the only factors were Riley and Sam. And Sam was pretty lenient to things Dean wanted to do now and then. We were both so obvious on why too. Because Dean had dying wishes. And we wanted to give him every one that he deserved. Which was wrong, Dean knew what we were doing and he was taking advantage. But I couldn't tell him no. Because then the guilt settled in. And I didn't want to deal with guilt more than I had to.

He nodded and looked down at Riley. He wasn't mad. He understood I had limits, just like I had before there was a number on his days.

"I'm sorry." I said softly, even though he wasn't mad.

He turned to look at me. "Don't sweetie." He kissed my head and put an arm around me. "Don't." It was in that tone of voice that made me want to feel in the mood, to the point where I was almost forcing myself. Unfortunately, Dean could tell when I was doing that. And even though I'd be giving into what he wanted, he wanted me willingly. If I was forcing myself, he wasn't interested.

"Speaking of Sam," Even though the topic of Sam had been gone for at least ten minutes, I knew he wanted to move on. "Where is he?"

"Oh, I think he's getting a newspaper for our next job." Lies. God, he had to know I was lying right?

Ever since the graveyard a month ago, Sam had been on a hell bound mission. Well, I guess it was an anti-hell bound mission if you took the saying literal. He had been going to the library almost every night, calling Bobby to talk about if he had found anything. All under Dean's nose. Sure, every night was a different excuse. Food, fill up the Impala, newspaper, actually some times it was actually to go to the library to look for something different. If Dean knew, he didn't say anything.

"Okay." He kissed my head. "Just the sooner he gets back, sooner we can sleep for a little before she wakes us up in the middle of the night."

"I can hold her till he comes back. You can start heading to sleep."

He shook his head and continued to rock Riley. "No, I love holding her." He said softly and I smiled, stroking his hair. "I'll settle for getting some comfortable clothes on."

I nodded and he gently handed her to me. I held her to my chest and kissed her head a few times while Dean pulled off his button down and put it in the dirty laundry pile. I yawned softly and leaned back against the headboard. Riley shifted again, curling her fingers around my hair before she settled down again.

Having Riley with us wasn't as complicated as I thought. We could carry on semi heavy hunts with her. Either I stayed with her, or one of the boys did. Although, on some rare occasions; or whether the hunt just called for more hunter power, Bobby came in and babysat while we were away. We were taking breaks in between hunts though, to spend time with Riley. Which we rarely did before she was born. I was guessing that as she got older, the hunts would be come less frequent. Though, that's what I was hoping. If Riley chose this hunter life, the hunts wouldn't end. They'd just become her hunts instead of Sam, Dean and mine.

"You want to work out when Sam gets back? Or do you want to sleep?"

Dean had also been making sure I was getting back into shape. An unhealthy hunter was a sloppy hunter. I couldn't remember whose catchphrase that had been. John's or my dad's. Nonetheless I had been going out on morning runs and doing push ups and sit ups, just like I had done when Dean, Sam and I were kids.

"Uhm," I thought for a moment. "Maybe like, hundred sit ups?"

He nodded as he slipped a black t-shirt on. "Fair enough. I'll match you if you want?"

"Yeah, you mise well get some work out in too." I smiled softly.

He scoffed and ruffled my hair as he sat down next to me. "Not like I need it!"

I smiled and rolled my eyes. "Right, forgot your body is perfect the way it is."

"Damn straight it is." I watched him lean down on the bed and pull the covers up and over himself and me.

"What about working out?"

He sighed softly. "Just getting comfortable until Sam gets back. Give me her." I kissed his head and gently settled Riley onto his chest. She curled into him and he kissed her head.

I laid down next to him and settled my face into his neck. I breathed in his skin and put my arm around his waist.

He shifted his head and left small kisses on my cheekbone. "Still having nightmares?"

I swallowed and closed my eyes. "Every night since we brought Riley with us. God, they're so horrible Dean."

"But you know they're just nightmares right? You know that there's no way in hell we're letting those horrible things happen to Riley."

I nodded and pushed my face farther into his neck. Ever since we left the hospital I had been having dreams about Riley and…well, a bunch of different things happening to her. Horrible things. Horrible deadly things. I felt tears fill my eyes. I mean maybe I was just being a worried mother but when the nightmares started to include demons and rituals and not the average accidents, I think that there was some cause for alarm or worry.

"But they're my nightmares." I said suddenly. "I…I dreamt about you in Hell and I didn't do anything and look at what's happening now!" Riley whimpered in Dean's arms from the noise and he sat up a little, rocking her. I sat up too. "God, I didn't mean to startle her."

Dean held her as she fussed in his arms. "Hey, it's okay Peanut." I ignored the fact that Dean was so close to the alternate universe Dean when he was with Riley. He called her peanut and he had a purple bear for her. Which I'm sure Riley would eventually call Dott one of these days. It didn't bother me. Some of the perfect life inside the imperfect one was nice.

I sniffled. "I didn't mean to yell."

"Shh," He looked at me. "I know," He stroked my hair. "It's okay." Riley eventually settled and fell right back asleep against Dean like nothing had startled her in the first place. "See?" He said softly. "She's right back to sleep again." I nodded softly and he placed a small kiss on my forehead.

He looked at me for a long moment as my eyes seemed to fall to the bed sheets. He was trying to read my mind, I could tell. I could feel it. "What are you thinking about, pretty girl?" He asked softly.

Could I lie and say anything else. I mean, I could always tell him I was thinking about Sam, or Riley and the future. What she would look like heading into first grade or how she'd cope to the backseat of the Impala. Either, how we would help her adjust to a life on the road or how we'd stop hunting and get a place so she could wake up in the same bed every morning with her pink sparkled sheets and blue clouded walls. But…those things always lead up to the same thing that I was always thinking about. Dean. And how'd he never be there.

Soft and quiet; like deadly smoke. "You." I looked up at him. "You." I said more firmly.

He got up after that, refusing to meet my eyes. I think this is the way he was going to handle things from now on when anyone mentioned anything about him…or hell. This basically was a grown up Dean version of a temper tantrum. First he'd get all quiet and avoid my eyes.

Dean waited until Riley let go of his shirt in her sleep and then placed her in her crib, putting Ellen's present of a protective baby blanket over top of her. He stroked her head for a long moment and then set her purple bear near her.

"Dean, please don't ignore me."

"I'm not." He snapped.

I sighed. Right, first came the anger and then he ignored me. "I just think…that we should try to map out this whole thing. Figure out our options."

"They're no options." He said firmly.

"There's always an opinion. Always."

"Well this time there isn't Andy, so stop looking." He yelled. I couldn't believe how loud and angry he had gotten. "_Stop_ it. And you can tell Sam to stop it too. Ya know, you two treat me like I'm some sort of oblivious dying person. You think that I can't see what you two are doing, that I don't know where Sam is right now. And I'm sick of it."

I felt tears pour into my eyes and I sniffled. "I…just don't want you to die."

Dean sighed; I could tell that was the steam from his anger leaving his body. He was done being angry. He was quieter, guiltier was more like it. "Andy, if we try to fuck with this deal," I closed my eyes. I hated that word coming out of his mouth. "Sam will die." I opened my eyes and looked at him. "He'll die."

My chin wobbled and tears poured down my cheeks. So I had to pick didn't I? If I kept helping Sam to find something to save Dean the deal could backfire and Sam could drop dead again. But if we stopped, Dean was going to hell.

"So just…let it go. I'll take the walk like I'm supposed to."

Tears burned my eyes. Dean was going to _hell_. "I uhm, I'm gonna take a walk." I stood quickly. I just…I needed to get out of the room.

"Andy, it's twelve at night and fifty degrees out."

"I won't be out long." I hurriedly put my shoes on and went for the door and opened it.

"You have a beater on!"

I slammed the door closed and kept walking. I could hear Riley start to whine in my head and Dean inwardly sighing.

O0o0o0o

I turned down the steps to head into the parking lot. How could he be so…God, so fucking nonchalant about dying? Didn't he care that he was leaving me? That'd he be gone forever? That we had no plan and there was no getting out of it.

I tried to wipe the tears away as I made it to the parking lot. They were relentless and cold on my cheeks as the wind blew. Thank God there weren't a lot of people out. Though when did I really give a shit about how I looked when I cried anyways.

Where was I going? Sam had the car. I couldn't just walk along the road. It was dark out and we weren't exactly in the best part of the city in the nicest hotel around. I sighed softly and sniffled. I wanted to be inside, in Dean's arms in bed. But I couldn't take that false crap he was spewing these days. And I know he couldn't take me crying about it either.

I turned the corner, intending on walking once around the parking lot before I went back up. I needed to gain my composure, be as nonchalant and calm about this as Dean was. Well at least I needed to be that way around Dean, I could be however I wanted to fucking be while I was by myself.

I wrapped my arms around myself, standing in the middle of the parking lot for a moment. I remembered there being a bench right near the front of the turn in, under the sign that said Red U-turn Motel with the blinking on and off vacancy sign. I'd sit there until Sam got back. At least. Hell maybe if I was stubborn enough I'd just fucking sleep there.

"Andy?" I looked up and saw Sam. I wrapped my arms around myself and nodded at him. "Uhm, you do know we have a room here right?"

He sat next to me and I nodded again. He probably thought I resembled some sort of bobble head.

"Yeah, I know. Just…thought a walk seemed like a good idea."

"A walk…in your pajamas in fifty degrees." That seemed to trigger his chivalry because he took his coat off and wrapped it around my shoulders. I slid my arms into the sleeves, welcoming the warmth Sam had left. "Dean said something again didn't he?"

Was this becoming routine? I guess it was. How many times had I been forced outside because Dean had been less then sensitive about his going to hell? How many times had Sam either followed me outside or found me outside, like he did tonight? Too many to fucking count.

I looked at him and nodded softly. "I just…I don't understand how he can be so nonchalant about dying. I don't understand."

"He's scared." Sam said softly. "He's lashing out at us because he's scared." I nodded softly and I felt his arm slip around my shoulders. I leaned into him a little and rested my head on his shoulder. "He shouldn't be yelling at you though. I know he gets frustrated but…with Riley and you; it's his time to be a family. The three of you. He should be savoring it, not pushing it away."

I felt tears fill my eyes and I tried to push them away. The word family and savoring it just felt like it hit way too close to him and my heart constricted painfully in my chest. I remembered my father and how eager he had been to go on a hunting trip with John; though back in those days where my mother was alive the hunting had been of actual animals, at least for a little while. Until John got on his revenge trip and started tracking down the demon that had destroyed his family.

I couldn't even recall why my dad had been so eager, so willing, to go on that damn trip. He didn't even like killing animals…no until my mom died. Maybe the reason had been grown up, something I couldn't understand. Maybe they were in a fight and my dad just wanted to get away for a week end. Something he regretted doing when she died, being away for all that time when he could have been with her.

Then it dawned on me. I was doing the same thing wasn't I? Just walking away when we got into a fight or when he made me angry, which Dean was doing a hell of a lot of lately. It was hard to stay in the room when he was like that, that bullshit 'I don't give a shit about anything, the hellhounds can take me when they're ready' attitude. It was really hard to be around. But…I'd regret not being in the room with him one day. Not watching him move around or lay back on the bed and fall asleep watching TV. Not seeing him talk to Riley if she was still awake or comforting her if she woke up and cried. I'd miss all these things.

"Andy, shh." Sam said softly, suddenly rocking me from side to side. It only took me a moment before I realized that I wasn't shaking from the cold. I was shaking because I was crying, and pretty hard too. My cheeks tinted pink as tears poured down them.

He pulled me close and I rested my face against his chest, tears soaking into his shirt. Vanilla wafted to my nose and seemed to calm me a little. I felt Sam's fingers run through my hair and then over my back. He rubbed my shoulders and the back of my neck, I felt bad that he had to deal with me like this.

I pulled back just a little so I could look up at him. "I'm sorry Sam." I managed to stutter out.

He shook his head and wiped my tear tracks with his long sleeve. "Don't be, sweetie." He smiled softly and kissed my forehead.

I smiled a little and pulled back completely, wrapping the jacket closer to me. "This is becoming a horrible little routine for us."

Sam sighed. "Well if Dean knew when to keep his mouth shut it wouldn't be. It's like he has no idea what should come out of his mouth and what shouldn't."

"Yeah. When is he going to say something mean to you and you come out the bench crying?"

Sam smirked. "And you give me your jacket to keep me warm?"

I nodded. "Exactly!"

He laughed softly and ruffled my hair. "I don't think your jackets will fit me, Andy. But really, thanks for the concern."

I smiled softly. "Just once I'd like to be the man in our relationship."

Sam ran a hand through his hair. "You probably could, you wear pants and boots all the time."

"I wear skirts sometimes!"

He snorted. "Your funeral dress does not count. Or the few and far between business skirts."

I frowned. "Well its not like I get to go to the mall and buy jean skirts Sam. And even if I did, where the hell would I wear them? I bet it'd work real well when we're salting and burning or running away from God knows what in a forest somewhere. Not to mention Dean would be on my ass about it. No matter how much he likes my legs." Sam smirked. "He sounds like his father when he fucking badgers me about my clothes."

Sam rubbed my shoulder absentmindedly. "I don't remember him acting like a father figure with your clothes."

I snorted. "Right, well I guess I should specify. There's a before we were dating and after. Before we were dating, like when I twelve, he wouldn't let me leave the house in a skirt. It wasn't even that short! It was a white flowy skirt, down to my knees."

"I do remember that! He gave your friend like a fifteen minute dissertation."

I nodded softly. "I wasn't even dating him. And then of course, last year, I wore those high heels to the graveyard, which wasn't even my fault. We had that damn lawyer we had to question. Dude, he never let me live that down. Swear he checks my shoes every time we leave the room now."

Sam laughed. "Yeah he's very John Winchester and Max Core when he does that."

I nodded softly. "Yeah, my dad used to check my attire all the time."

Sam smiled and sighed softly, his breath puffing slightly in the chilly air. "Well, we better get inside before Dean has a heart attack or something."

"I'm sure I already did." I stood with Sam and walked with him through the parking lot. "Either that or he's pacing the room getting ready to put his boots on and come look for me."

"Think he's that worried that he'd haul Riley up and come look for you."

I smirked but it wasn't really funny, more like I did it out of irony. "He's done it before. The only reason I came back in the room with him was because Riley was crying up a storm."

"So, surprise, I actually found us a job while looking for something to help Dean." I'd let Dean crush his heart and tell him he needed to stop looking. I couldn't do it, couldn't shatter the hope in his eyes.

"Sam, mind if I hear about it tomorrow some time?"

He stopped. "Uh, yeah sure, I guess."

"I just, this whole thing with Dean, feels like we should be on vacation somewhere with you and Riley. Somewhere warm and where there's sand…" I smile fondly but then frowned again. "Not looking for a job."

"I know Andy." He sighed softly. "I know. But I can't be the one you talk to about this. I'm not the one going to Hell in a year." That hit hard but he was right. Maybe it was supposed to be hard hitting, so I'd be enthralled to do something about it.

"He's not going to want to take a vacation. He's such a hardass like his father when it comes to the job. And hell, he's only got one more year to do it, why the hell would he want to take a vacation?" I asked sarcastically.

Sam sighed as we got to the motel door. "Because he loves you. And he loves Riley." I swallowed and looked at him. "Because it's the only vacation you'll get to have with each other."

The door swung open before I could respond. There was Dean, boots on and Riley in his arms. I nearly smirked as I looked at Sam. I offered him my hand, palm up. "Alright, pay up."

He snorted and swatted my hand away. "Fat chance, Core."

Dean's eyes widened and they went from me to Sam, to my hand and then to me again. I slowly pulled my hand back and stuck it into the jacket pocket.

"I'm really glad you think this is funny, Andy." Dean spat.

I rolled my eyes and walked past him. "Please. I do this half the time because of your jackass remarks, you should be used to it by now." I took the jacket it off and put it on Sam's bed. "And would you put Riley back to bed before you friggin wake her?"

Dean scoffed and shook his head. He gently went to put Riley back down while Sam widened his eyes a little and came in, closing the motel door. I was actually kind of surprised that Riley hadn't woken up by Dean getting her or putting her back or even by his rude ass comment. She was a heavy sleeper; she got that from Dean that's for sure.

"You know, I'm really tired of you walking out of here like we're in the safest place on the goddamn planet. I salt the freaking doors and windows for a reason, Andy."

"Don't condescend me, Dean. I _know_ why we salt everything—"

"Sure as hell act like it." He cut me off.

I nearly screamed. "Yellow Eyes is dead, some breathing and walking room is rewarded alright?"

"That doesn't mean everything is safe. Just because Yellow Eyes is dead does not mean some other demon isn't trying to take its place." Sam sighed and sat down on his bed. "It's still dangerous Andy, for all of us."

I looked at Sam and he looked at me. He then looked at Dean. "Well maybe if you weren't upsetting her with this bullshit attitude you got going on, she wouldn't leave the room as much as she does."

Dean looked at Sam. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're scared Dean, okay? And we all can see it." He scoffed and looked away. "I'd be scared too. We understand."

"You understand huh? You understand that I gotta go to hell for the rest of my life?" I swallowed and looked down. "That I gotta miss out on Riley and everything that she does? You understand that? Because I sure as hell don't."

He walked past me and went into the bathroom, nearly slamming the door. I looked at Sam and he sighed softly. I'm guessing we didn't really understand.

O0o0o0o0

"Dean come on, it's been over two hours, you're being worse then me." I sighed as I knocked on the door again and got no reply…again.

I rubbed my forehead and looked at Sam. He shook his head at me, even though he was looking at the TV. How did he do that? "Don't even look at me Andy; we're in the same boat with this."

I licked my lips and looked at the door again. I was starting to feel very frustrated and I swear if it wasn't for Riley sleeping in the crib next to the bed I would have been pounding and screaming.

"Dean Winchester if you love me you will open up this door!"

Sam sucked in a breath. "Hitting him kind of hard with that one, aren't you?"

I rolled my eyes and waited. Maybe he had fallen asleep or something, it had been quite a while since he went in. He better of been asleep because if he didn't open this door I wouldn't only be pissed off, I'd be hurt too.

Just when I was about to give up and go to bed I heard the lock turn. The door didn't open but I sure as hell didn't need an invite after the lock was out of place. I opened the door slowly in case he was sitting near the door. But he wasn't. Steam pushed its way onto my face, smelling of raw cinnamon and Dean's shampoo. He had gotten a shower or was in the middle of one, though I didn't hear the water running. I went in all the way and closed the door.

Dean was in the bathtub, just lounging in a bath. He had already had his shower, now I'm guessing he just wanted a relaxing bath because he figured he was going to be in there for a while. He didn't look at me as I came closer and sat on the side of the tub. I sat there and watched him. He was looking into the water, his hair slicked back and heat curling off his skin like cigarette smoke.

"Dean." He looked up at me and said nothing. "You okay?" On the list of stupid questions to ask, that one had to be number 2. Right between 'Are you scared to go to hell?' and 'Are you going to miss me and Riley?'

"No." He swallowed. "Not really…at all." He sighs. "But you know this by now."

"I know, and I should just stop asking." I admitted softly. "I'm sorry." He shook his head and looked back at the water. I licked my lips and waited for him to talk, to just go into that Dean Winchester sarcasm but he didn't. "Are you mad at me?" Was that on the list of stupid questions too?

He sighed and I felt like he was angrier at the question then at me. "No, Andy." I didn't like the way my name sounded. "I'm not mad at you."

I sighed too, making it sound a lot like his. "Then why are upset?"

He gripped the side of the tub and slid up a little, his body squeaking along the bottom of the tub. "God damnit Andy if someone asks me why I'm fucking upset one more time I swear to God…"

"You'll what? You'll 'throw some punches?' Right heard that before."

"Right, then when do you feel the need to keep asking the same question?"

"Because I'm worried about you! Sorry, won't do that again." I turned away from him and looked at the bathroom door. I understood being angry and upset some of the time because of this deal but being plain mean and pretending he didn't give a flying fuck about anything was just too much.

Tears filled my eyes a little. Sometimes I swear to God it just felt like he didn't love me anymore. Or, at least, too busy being angry and scared instead of compassionate and caring like he was before. I couldn't take a whole year of this.

I heard water ripple and felt his wet, semi-prune skinned hand rest against mine. I shivered from how warm it felt. "I'm doing it again, aren't I?" He asked, his voice like it used to be. There was no desperate edge. Just soft, loving, warm; like his hand. "Pushing you away." That wasn't a question; he knew he was doing it.

I nodded softly. "Yeah, you are. And I just want you to stop, its not fair with…the amount of time that we have."

"I'm sorry." He said softly, massaging my hand with his warm one. "Hey."

That was a key signal to look at him and I slowly did. My eyes ran over his eyes, so vibrant with beautiful color, his golden skin and the muscles underneath, his hair with the small little spikes sticking up from being slicked back with water. Everything. I took in everything I could.

He leaned up a little more, till he was as close as he could get without touching me. "I'm sorry."

I nodded softly. "I know. It's okay." I said gently and ran my hand through his hair. I left a small kiss on his forehead, my lips lingering, soaking up the warmth of his skin and the cinnamon tainted wetness left behind from his body wash.

"It's not okay." He ran his hand over my arm, making goose bumps rise on the skin. "Sam's right. I'm scared. And I shouldn't be taking that out on you." Tears plopped off my cheeks and onto his already wet skin, blending into the wetness and sliding off into the bath. "I'm so sorry, Andy, please don't cry baby."

I shrugged and laughed softly, just trying to brush off the tears a little, like they didn't mean anything. "I'm alright."

"Yeah, I believe that." He was serious but he smiled a little. I think because he knew me seeing him smile made me feel better a little. Which it did; I loved his smile. Made the world just a little brighter. Now if I could only convince him of that without his ego inflating eight hundred times it's size.

I smiled softly and he smirked softly. "Yeah, that's what I wanted to see." I rolled my eyes a little. He squeezed my hand and then kissed it. "Now give me a kiss."

I wiped my face and smiled at him. I leaned down and grazed my lips along his. I kissed him softly and he cupped my chin, pulling me closer. He pushed his lips against mine and kissed me as lovingly as he could. It was one of those things that I'd just always remember. Something I'd always feel.

He pulled away after a few moments and I felt myself reaching for more. He laughed softly and opened his eyes. I smirked. "Shut up. I want more." I pouted.

Dean's eyebrows rose and he smiled. I knew that smile. It was devilish; he was about to be up to no kind of good. "Oh really? You know what I want?" He leaned up a little more. "I kind of want you in this tub with all your clothes on."

Before I could even process that sentence, Dean wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me towards him. I squealed and fell into the water and on top of him, water licking the sides of the tub and spilling over a little. Water quickly seeped into my clothes and stuck to my body, outlining my curves.

"I hate you."

He chuckled and kept his arms wrapped around me as I shifted onto my stomach, laying against his chest. "I love you too."

I smiled softly and lean up and captured his lips again. His hands processed into my lower back and slid me up a little. I wrap my arms around his neck and kept kissing him, going deeper and deeper. His hands ran up my sides and caught my shirt, lifting the wet material over my head. He threw it aside, it making a 'thwap' noise as it hit the floor. He somehow never stopped kissing me.

The other articles of clothing followed.

O0o0o0o

Sam bounced Riley on his lap and smiled at her. She giggled and her little hands wrapped around his fingers. I smiled softly as I helped Dean sit on the bed, which kind of turned into him laying down. He groaned and rolled onto his side but then found that position too nauseating and rolled over again.

We had just gotten back from a diner, just getting some lunch. I really liked bringing Riley out and about with us. She always got compliments from the waitresses. And I couldn't help but admit I loved seeing the look on girls faces who were flirting with Dean when they heard the kid was his and not Sam's. Which I'm sure a lot of them liked to assume.

We didn't really have a job yet so we got out of the motel room while we could and relaxed a little. Course relaxing to Dean meant pigging out in the food department. Ever since the deal was made swear Dean just ordered whatever the hell he wanted and in large quantities. I guess he figured he mise well eat what wanted while he could. But being a glutton was getting ridiculous; all he ended up doing was making himself sick.

"How you feeling babe?" I asked softly.

Sam picked Riley up and set her against his side. "I'm gonna change her, okay?" I nodded as he took her into the bathroom.

Dean groaned softly as he sat up a little. "Mmmph. Like I had four cheeseburgers too many."

I raised my eyebrows and licked my lips. "Well maybe that's because you _did_ have four cheeseburgers."

"Yeah, but they were sooooo good." I smirked as he gave me this cocky ass grin. The same one that still sent my stomach into flip flops after all these years.

I smiled and shook my head. "I know, but don't you think you're over doing it a bit?"

His frame had seemed to go ridged. For a moment I thought he was sick but as I looked up at his face, he was angry. What had I said? "Who's going to Hell Andy? You or me?" He sighed.

I frowned and looked down at my hands. Fuck, there he went again. I felt like he kept pointing it out because it was something to be proud of. And the thing that made me upset wasn't even Dean himself and his insistent or accidental reminders. The thing that fueled me was…I had forgotten. Fuck, I promised myself that I wouldn't forget that. Because when I forgot it was so much harder to face reality when someone brought it up again. It was that much harder to stay strong for Dean, Riley or myself. It was just hard. I wanted to angry at him and I wanted to cry. But I couldn't do any of those things. Because Dean sat up and pulled me into his chest and rocked me and placed kisses all over my head and the back of my neck. I closed my eyes.

"Fuck Andy. I'm sorry." I shook my head. "I'm so sorry." That word had been said more then necessary since this deal had happen. Everyone was so sorry. "I don't feel good."

And I couldn't stay mad at him, didn't have the strength to be honest. I pulled back and nodded at him, stroked his face and kissed his nose. Things I'd wish to do in a year, in two, in five.

"I know," I said softly. "It's okay." It wasn't really. Nothing was ever okay and nothing would ever be okay.

It was useless to stay mad at him and hurt too much. Made me feel guilty. Like my dad had felt for those days he spent away from my mom. Wasn't fair to hold that anger over such small things. Wasn't worth it.

Because all in all, at the end of the day, who was still going to Hell?

O0o0o0o0

"Alright so…Bobby has what exactly?" Dean asked as Sam passed Riley to him. I watched her against Dean. She looked up at him and then curled into his chest. I smiled softly and swallowed. I wondered if she'd remember what he looked like…or smelled like even.

Dean lifted her a little and cradled her, rocking her gently. Her eyes closed immediately, tired from the already long day that had just started. I leaned closer and rested my chin on his shoulder. I continued to look down at Riley and I ran my hand over her stomach, she shifted gently and her hands came to rest over mine. I felt Dean smile and he kissed the bridge of my nose.

"Not much. Crop failure and a cicada swarm outside of Lincoln, Nebraska. Now, it could be demonic omens—" Sam started saying but of course Dean interrupted.

"Or it could just be a bad crop and a bug problem."

I scrunched my nose. "Cicadas are really creepy bugs." I shivered and looked up at Sam. He sighed and rolled his eyes as he sat on the bed. I scoffed and picked up a pillow and wailed it at his head. Roll your eyes at that, Winchester.

Unfortunately, Sam being the fast catching freak that he was, caught the pillow and set it down. "You're creeped out by any bug Andy."

"I am not!" I countered. "I like…butterflies. Oh, and Ladybugs." I smiled and nodded, defiant.

Dean snorted. "She's cute," He kissed my head. "Gotta give her that."

"I don't have to give her anything; I'm not sleeping with her."

I scoffed and threw another pillow at him. He smirked and caught that one too; the freak.

"Any freaky deaths?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged. "Not that Bobby could find. Not yet, anyway."

"So this might not be anything?" I asked, running a hand through my hair. Dean's one arm held Riley against him and the other slid over my shoulder. I smiled softly and leaned into him.

"It's weird. I mean, the night the Devil's Gate opened;" I looked down. I'd remember that night for as long as I lived. The night Dean killed Yellow Eyes. "All these weirdo storm clouds were sighted over how many cities?"

"Seventeen." I mentioned softly. God how did we screw up so many cities in such a small amount of time? I mean, letting all those demons out was an accident. And some part of me hated to admit it was worth it. It was worth letting all those demons out to destroy that one son of a bitch that ruined our families.

"Seventeen." Dean repeated. "You'd think it would be _Apocalypse Now_, but it's been a month and bubkes."

I looked up at him and raised my eyebrows. "Is bubkus and actual word?"

He covered my mouth with his hand and I laughed and tried to push him a way a little. "What are the demons waiting for?"

Sam shrugged. "No idea."

"Why are you so antsy about it?" I asked Dean, playing with the hole in the knee of his jeans. "If the demons want to take a little vacation from trying to kill us I'm all for that."

Sam smirked. "Here, here." I smiled up at him.

"It's driving me crazy, that's why." He was aggravated, that I could tell. But itching for a fight when you were basically on vacation was just stupid. I mean we had basically had a month of non serious cases. A few hauntings and three possessions. No big deals. And Dean wanted to jump to demon wars and apocalypses? He was on his own with that one.

"If its gonna be war, I wish it would just start already." He concluded.

Sam looked uneasy. "I don't know, man. Careful what you wish for."

I looked down at Riley and then up at Dean. Sam was right. Wishing for something bad to happen was just too damn easy in our profession.

o0o0o0oo

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	2. Chapter 2: The Magnificent Seven Part 2

enjoy everyone :D

o0o0o0o0o

Chapter 2: The Magnificent Seven Part 2

"So where are we headed?" I asked sleepily, rubbing my eyes. The road just kept going on forever and ever and it felt like we had been in the car six hours. Besides if I didn't speak up soon the dead silence was going to kill me. Why wasn't the radio on? I looked next to me and sighed, well I guess that was because Dean was in the back and Sam was driving.

"For the eighth time Andy, just outside Lincoln, Nebraska." He sounded irritated.

I felt like scowling at Sam. "Well, I'm sorry okay? All this driving is driving me crazy." That sounded like a joke when it came out of my mouth.

Dean smirked. "You've been on longer trips in this car before."

"I know." Now I sounded like I was whining. In a few more sentences I wasn't going to be able to stand myself. Dean snorted and I glared at him. "I have no idea why this trip isn't any different."

"Maybe it's the lack of sleep, its putting your nerves on end." I shrugged softly at him and he smiled and leaned over, kissing my head. "Come on Andy, how can your daughter be more well behaved then you?"

I frowned and looked over at a sleeping Riley. She was always well behaved on car rides, even the longest ones. Which surprised me to be honest. She was a newborn, well technically new anyways. She should have been crying at the bumps in the road and Dean's horrible music and the occasional fight between the Winchesters. Or hell, even the bad car games. I read in the baby book that newborns to two months old basically cry about everything. When they need fed or changed or want to be held. Or when a loud noise went off or when a parent left the room. But Riley barely cried. Sometimes she'd whine when Dean and I would fight but that was about the most of it.

I looked over at Dean. "She likes the car rides."

Dean smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I can see that." I sighed softly and he stroked my hair. "Come on, lay down. Maybe you just need some sleep." I swallowed as he leaned back into the seat. I leaned against him and rested my head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. "Besides, I'm sure Sam will love the break. Pretty sure if you ask him one more time where we're going he'll pull the car over and get out."

I heard Sam smirk and I gently poked Dean's side for the joke. He jerked a little and kissed my head as he covered me with a blanket we kept in the back.

"Actually I was just thinking about pulling over and setting her down on the side of the road."

"Hey!" I protested and Sam laughed softly. "I don't want to be on the side of the road!"

"That's because if you get a ride you won't know where to meet us up at. Eighth time you've asked and you still don't know where we're going." I rolled my eyes and looked up at Dean.

"I do know where we're going."

Dean smiled. "Right, hun, I know."

I pouted. "Don't patronize me, Winchester."

His smile got wider and he shook his head. He leaned down and grazed his lips over my nose. "I know you're tired. You tossed and turned all night."

I swallowed softly and glanced at Riley. No, Riley hadn't kept me up, but my dreams about her had. Some of the worst yet. They were getting so bad that I just didn't tell Dean anymore. I didn't want to relive it. Or worse, worry him and Sam. Besides, the dreams were always different, so it wasn't like a promotion was happening, like the last time. I listened to Dean's beating heart and ran my hand over the spot, letting the beats bounce against my palm. I felt Dean's head lower and I knew he was watching my hand. I was going to miss every single beat I felt.

Dean kissed the tips of my fingers and I closed my eyes, letting sleep drag me back. I had no choice. I was exhausted and I was getting some sleep, horrible nightmares or not.

O0o0o0

_Rushing water, exploding out of the tub. The water demon was gaining momentum. We couldn't keep up with it. It was everywhere. We should have known better then to fill up the tub. _

"_Andy, don't! It's too late!" Sam grabbed me by the waist and pulled me back so hard that when I collided with his chest it sounded like I knocked the wind out of him._

"_No!" I shrieked. "Dean! Get Riley! Get her, Dean! _NOW_! Please!" I started sobbing as Sam continued pulling me back from the bathroom. Then I did something, something I never thought I'd do. I elbowed Sam in the mouth, hard. So hard that he let me go and out of the corner of my eye I saw him bend over in pain, swearing as blood dripped from the cut on his lip._

_I ran into the bathroom and saw Dean was kneeling over the tub, trying to pull back hard. But it was too late. Water had filled up small lungs. I collapsed onto the floor and clutched at Dean's shirt. _

O0o0o0o

Someone was tugging at me, grabbing my arms and holding me still.

"Andy? Hey, come on hun. It's just a dream; it's not real, okay?"

"She okay?" That was Sam. God I can't believe I socked him in the mouth. Was this the dream or reality?

"Pull over." Dean's hands were hard on my arms. Was I moving, writhing? Why was he squeezing so hard?

"We're here." Sam stated and I felt the engine stop and heard a car door open.

Suddenly my eyes opened and I screamed Riley's name. It was like I had completely lost control of my body, my functions. She started crying as Sam opened the back seat door.

"Hey, hey, shhh." Sam cooed, lifting her out of her car seat and bringing her to his chest. "It's okay. Uncle Sam's got you." He rocked her and I felt Dean pull me back against his chest.

I turned slowly and buried my head in his chest. I couldn't stop my ragged breathing and the tears that started up. Dean held me close and rocked me gently.

"She okay?" Dean asked Sam, quiet and comforting. Like his voice would scare me if it was any louder, harsher.

"She's okay; just startled her." I heard Riley coo softly and could feel Sam's smile. "What about Andy?"

Why were they talking about me like I wasn't in the car, right against Dean? He ran a hand through my hair and I heard footsteps come up to the car.

"Hey Bobby." Sam said quietly.

"Hey Sam, how's it going?" I could tell he was looking into the car and motioning to me.

"Uhm," Sam sighed. "It's a long story." It was more like long and arduous. If I wasn't telling Dean what was going on half the time, I sure as hell wasn't telling Bobby. Bobby was like another father to me and the Winchesters, and if we told him a problem like this, he might think its supernatural instead of natural.

Despite what I wanted to believe, I knew this had to be some type of supernatural sign. All these dreams weren't just because I was a worried mother. They had to mean something else, especially since I had one just about every time I fell asleep.

"I can't do this anymore, Dean." I said and sniffled. "I can't."

Dean tilted my chin and stroked my cheekbone. I felt a callus slip over my skin but it didn't bother me. Maybe I was just used to the feeling of his rough hands. "We'll figure this out, okay? I promise you."

I felt my chin wobble. "Before you leave me?" Tears poured over my cheeks and I watched his face contort into a mixture of pain and sadness, but most of all; fear.

To that question he didn't promise anything.

O0o0o0o0o

I watched as Bobby played with Riley in his arms. He did this thing where he lifted her way above his head and then pretended she was an airplane. She really liked it too. She giggled the whole entire time he did it and I found myself smiling as I leaned against the Impala hood.

"You okay now?" Dean asked, coming up beside me and checking his riffle. He took the safety off and I directed the gun to the ground. We spent our entire lives around guns, knives and spent hours listening to John about how to keep them clean and how to be safe around them. But after all this time I still felt itchy. Especially when Dean took the lock off and was pointing it towards are heads.

He rolled his eyes and grunted softly. I saw him switch the safety back on so he could put it in the waistband of his jeans. "Third time now, I'm fine Dean."

"Oh really?" I nodded. "Let me tell you something, Andy. Known you my whole life. I know your facial expressions like they were my own. I know when you're angry," I swallowed. "When you're sad. When you're…" He looked my body up and down. "Really horny." He smirked and I rolled my eyes, a small smile breaking out on my face. "That's my personal favorite by the way…"

"Dean, please, a point?" Before I get all hot and bothered under pressure.

Dean looked back up at my face and into my eyes. His hazel ones tore through my invisible barrier of emotion that my blue eyes were trying to hold up. "And I know when something is bothering you. And these dreams…are really bothering you. And it's worrying me. And I mean, it's not just me. It's Sam too."

I looked over at Riley in the air, Bobby carefully zipping her around and then pulling her back down and to his chest. I felt Sam shut the trunk; the whole car seemed to dip.

I shook my head and looked at Dean. "I just…I can't lose her, Dean. I can't lose both of you." I swallowed thickly and sighed softly. "I know these dreams mean something, like when I had dreams about you and about Hell." His eyes flickered between anger and sadness. Sometimes I felt like he blamed me for not being able to save him. "But they're different every time and so scattered. How am I supposed to narrow everything down?"

I felt Sam sit next to me; I could smell the vanilla waft to my nose in the cold air. "Maybe if we write all of them down and then keep track. See if any of them happen more then twice. The supernatural ones are things we can look for, things we can research and prevent. Natural ones…well," I looked at him and he licked his lips. He looked at Dean. "We'll just have to pay super attention."

Dean nodded. "Hey, look at me." I turned my head and did so. "You know how stubborn I am, right?"

Sam scoffed and muttered. "Don't _I_ know it."

I smiled softly as I heard him and Dean rolled his eyes. He cupped my chin and stroked my jaw a little. "With how stubborn I am…you really think I'm gonna let anything happen to our daughter?" I smiled, fuller now. He smiled too. "Huh?"

I shook my head. "No. No way in hell." No pun intended.

He kissed my lips softly. "Damn straight."

I watched as Bobby walked over with Riley in his arms. "Think she's crying for you." I smiled softly as she whined and kicked in Bobby's arms and reached for me. I picked her up and held her close. Dean leaned closer and kissed her head.

She instantly calmed down as Dean rested his lips on her head and I smirked softly and shook my head. "You got a calming power with her, Dean. Could be great when temper tantrums come to pass." I smiled up at him but he wasn't smiling back. And then it hit me and I felt like I had been punched in the chest. Dean wouldn't be here for Riley's terrible twos or the temper tantrums.

I frowned and looked down at Riley. She reached up and grabbed Dean's chin and tugged a little. Dean smiled softly at her and took her hand off his face and held it with his own.

'I'm sorry' was just not coming out of my mouth. It was too over-used with us lately, and the fact that I was even considering the phrase in my head was making me angry. So I didn't say anything, I figured Dean would understand and I was sure if he didn't he would complain/ask me about it later.

I felt the weight shift on the car and Dean move a bit closer. He kissed Riley's head again and then cupped my face. I closed my eyes as he planted a kiss on my forehead as his fingers stroked my cheek. He did something similar like that to me every morning while we were still in bed, whether I was asleep or not.

His fingers would curve around my nose and cheekbones and my chin, under my eyes and around my mouth. He'd trace contours of my face because one of these days, he wouldn't be able to do it anymore.

Sometimes however when he knew I was awake, just laying there without my eyes open, he'd instead pepper kiss my cheek or trace out 'I love you' or a heart with his fingers. Something to make me smile or laugh; so I'd open my eyes and look at him. I'd remember every word that he wrote out on my cheeks, between the kisses.

I think I'd remember everything about him. In every single smallest detail since I met him when I was four. Everything. And I knew it'd make my life just a little bit harder when he was gone. But I'd rather remember everything and be in pain then forget all about him and be numbingly happy.

O0o0o0o

I loaded my gun and put the safety on. Bobby took Riley from Dean and she whimpered softly. Dean smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

"Be right back, Peanut." I smiled softly and ran a hand through my hair.

"You sure you're fine with staying out here with Riley?"

Bobby shook his head. "Hardly get to see my granddaughter. It's a pleasure."

I winced. "We've been meaning to head over and spend some time with you Bobby, we've just had…" I swallowed. "A lot of work."

"Hey, wasn't an accusation." He bounced Riley against him a little and she giggled. "I know you three can handle what's in there. And if there's any sign of trouble I'll high tail it outta here with Riley."

I nodded, thankful. "Thanks Bobby." I kissed Riley's cheek and looked at the boys. "Ready?"

Sam hesitated for a moment. "I didn't really notice it before but you hear those cicadas?"

I frowned and tuned my ears for a moment. Sam was right. There sounded like there were swarms hiding in the trees in the distance, ready to attack. I shuddered. "Hate those freaking bugs. You know supposedly the female bites the heads off the males?" I shrugged and looked at Dean.

He raised his eyebrows and smirked. "I know some human females that like to bite heads off…" Sam groaned and I blushed darkly.

"Dear Jesus," Bobby let out a breath. "You like this around your daughter all the time?"

"It's worse sometimes." Sam informed him and I glared at him and punched his shoulder.

He smirked. "Ow."

I looked at Bobby, I could feel the cold air against my flushed cheeks. "Well, you know Dean, always making a sexual comment outta something."

Dean scoffed. "Leave me with some dignity, will ya?"

"Alright, alright," Bobby interrupted before something else could be said. I could just tell from his tone he was done with this conversation.

I caught the drift and went back into work mode. "So, Bobby, what do you think? We got a biblical plague here, or what?"

He shrugged. "Well, whatever it is, this house here is ground zero."

I looked at the small house. Yellow paint, blue roof, white porch. Looked like a normal looking house. Except with the swarms of cicadas around. That was just weird. It just wasn't the right weather for these things to be out, let alone alive and in huge groups.

I looked at Sam and Dean and we started walking towards the house. Dean took the lead and I followed him, Sam following me. Why was I always in the middle? I felt like they didn't believe I could keep myself safe or defend myself. So they sandwiched me and protected me from both ends. I fought an eye roll. Whatever. Now wasn't the time to fight about it.

Dean knocked on the front door. "Candy gram!" He yelled and Sam rolled his eyes.

Dean looked back at us and shrugged. "Sam?"

He nodded and switched places with Dean. He knelt and started picking the lock. It didn't take him very long. We had learned to pick locks at the fastest pace. I remembered my dad and John had made us run from one point to another and then to the door of our motel and lock pick it while being timed. Sam had beaten Dean and me by a stretch. I guess that's why we always picked him to handle the locks.

As I heard the lock switch into place, I turned to look back at Riley one more time. Bobby was sitting in his car with her on his lap. I knew there was an extra car seat in the back, just in case Bobby had to make one of those getaways. But I was still nervous. I was always nervous leaving her. I think my dreams made sure of that.

I nearly jumped as I felt Dean place a kiss on my head. I looked up at him and smiled softly. He kissed my lips next. "She'll be okay." He reassured.

Yeah, I'm sure she would be. But he couldn't blame me for being paranoid. Sam pushed open the door, putting the lock picking kit inside his big tan jacket pockets again. He pushed the door farther open and we followed him inside, guns ready. The smell hit us before anything could jump out and attack. I gagged and pushed my face into the crook of my arm arm.

"Oh my God." I said, muffled.

Dean looked sick. "Yeah," he looked at Sam. "Well we know that can't be good."

I shook my head and followed Dean and Sam around the house. No, when was the smell of decaying flesh ever a good sign? Luckily I didn't have a real problem with the smell. Though if there was dried or wet blood anywhere, that was another issue.

I followed Sam through the hallway, getting used to the smell. It was horrible to think I was actually getting used to a lot of odd and horrible things with this job. I stopped short as I heard muffled talking. I listened harder. No, muffled screams. My head turned to the right, like my hearing would be better if I did that.

"You guys hear that?" I asked quietly.

Sam turned and nodded, motioning to the door. He guarded me as I clicked the safety off my gun and looked at Dean for the ready signal. He nodded also and I pushed open the door and aimed….at nothing. I sighed, irritated or relieved. I couldn't really tell. The sounds were just coming from the TV. Even though nothing physically knocked me back, the smell of rotting bodies seemed to be worse as I pushed open the door.

"Oh, God." Sam stopped in the doorway.

And right there on the couch was why. As I rounded the couch I put my gun away and covered my mouth with my hand. Sitting on the sofa was three bodies, seeming to be a husband, wife and son. It was weird. There was no blood or a struggle. All of them had their clothes on and were just…casually sitting in front of the TV.

"Dean, look at this."

He grimaced as he walked a step in the doorway. "Can see fine from here…thank you."

I sighed. "You big baby."

Sam swallowed, stepping closer but not rounding the couch to where I was. "What is it?"

I swatted some flies away from my face. "It's like they just...wasted away. Here on the couch."

Dean frowned. "Check for sulfur."

I looked at him. "_You_ check for sulfur. You're closest to the windows."

He stuck his tongue out at me and I smiled softly and shook my head. "No sulfur by the windows." Dean confirmed.

While Sam was examining the bodies a little bit closer, grimacing and swatting fly's outta the way as he did, I went closer the Dean and stood by him. I leaned against the wall as he turned and looked at me.

"You okay?" He asked attentively.

I swallowed, really getting sick and tired of the question. "Dean, you ask me that one more time and my fist is going to be wrist deep in your mouth." His eyebrows rose at that. "I said I was fine, okay? I believe you that we're going to figure everything out…"

"Andy."

"What?" I snapped, looking up at him as he got closer. I could smell cinnamon flowing off him in gentle waves.

He swiped hair behind my ear and spoke gently. "I was talking about if you were okay from the corpses."

I blushed and fumbled. "O-oh." I looked down and he tilted my chin and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes. "Right, yeah, I'm fine."

He smiled softly as I opened my eyes. "Yeah…I figured that from the wrist deep comment." I smirked softly and rolled my eyes. I bumped my hips with his and he chuckled.

I looked to the left and something passing the window caught my eye. I pulled on Dean's jacket. "Dean, someone's out there."

He frowned and looked towards the window. "You sure it wasn't Bobby moving around?"

"No, someone's on the porch." I swallowed and took my gun out. "Cover me?"

Dean smirked and took his gun out. "I will cover your anything." He raised his eyebrows and I shook my head, smacking his arm. His smirk wiped off his face and he glowered at me. "Always with the violence!"

"Shh!" I scolded and looked at Sam. "You gonna be okay if we check that out?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

I nodded back and made my way down the hall to the front door. I heard footsteps on the porch and looked back at Dean. He nodded that he was ready when I raised my eyebrows. "Okay," I mouthed at him. "Three…two…"

"One." He mouthed and motioned towards the door.

I hurriedly opened the door, intending on hopefully hitting someone with the heavy redwood and knocking them off balance or at least distracting them. Of course, with my luck, no one was distracted and I hadn't hit anyone. Actually all the door did was make a loud banging noise as it hit the rail on the side of the house.

Before I could even look at the two figures twice, one of them hit my nose with the back of their gun. Not enough to break the bone but damn hard enough for me to end up on my knees with a serious nosebleed.

"Fuck!" I went down and clutched my nose. As soon as my knees touched the floor, Dean had already backed the person who had hit me pinned against the far wall.

The black woman wasn't alarmed; actually she looked like she had been in this kind of situation before.

"Dean!" I squealed as the second person, a man with an angry glare and a loaded pistol, put the gun to his head.

"Let her go, right _now_."

Dean hesitated for a moment and licked his lips. He looked over at me and lowered his stance and backed a step away from the woman. I heard footsteps on the wooden porch and saw Bobby rushing up the steps.

He looked at me before anyone else. "Sam's got her."

I nodded softly and felt blood drip from my nose. I coughed and rubbed the blood off my nose. The woman and man seemed to calm when they saw Bobby because they didn't stop Dean from rushing over and kneeling down beside me. He took a handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and held it to my nose. I sniffed and winced.

"Ow, ow…"

He frowned. "Sorry."

"Isaac? Tamara?" Bobby asked. I looked up at the man and woman as they smiled.

"Bobby!" Tamara said cheerfully. "What the hell are you doing here?"

I looked at Dean and rolled my eyes softly. He smiled. How the hell did Bobby know so many people? "I could ask the same." Bobby said, in turn.

Isaac smiled and shook Bobby's hand. "It's nice to see you again."

"Yeah, been a long time."

Tamara sighed. "Too long."

Dean took my arm and helped me up off the floor. He walked me down the stairs and took me to the car. Sam was already there, sitting on the hood with Riley in his arms.

"Whoa, what happened to you?" Sam asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Bobby's friends tried to shove the butt part of the gun up my freaking nose."

Sam snorted and Dean smacked his arm. I shook my head and smiled softly. "Glad you think its funny asshat, lemme see how my gun fits up your…"

Dean covered my mouth. "Happy thoughts for our daughter, Andy!"

Sam chuckled and I rolled my eyes as Dean removed his hand. "Up your eye then."

Sam smirked, handing Riley over to Dean. "Very nice."

Riley giggled and kicked happily when she saw she was being handed over to her daddy. Dean grinned. "Hello Peanut."

I smiled as I watched him bounce her up and down. He kissed her head and I wanted to touch her but I felt like the blood from my nose was all over my hands. So I couldn't; didn't want to taint a moment so beautiful between them. Because who knew how many they would actually have like that.

O0o0o0o0o0

Tamara and Isaac drove back to their place and we followed them in the Impala, Bobby following us. Well, it wasn't really their house; it was just the house that they were squatting at while they worked the job that brought them down here.

Once inside I went to the bathroom to clean my nose and wash my face. I sighed as I looked in my reflection. I heard Sam asked Tamara and Isaac how long they had been married and how they got started on the good fight. They didn't answer and I knew, like Sam knew, that he shouldn't have asked that and it was none of his business. Though he hadn't meant any harm in asking and Tamara knew that and forgave him. Everyone had reasons to start hunting. And they were usually bad ones. Usually it was a death and sought for revenge kind of thing.

I wondered if they had lost anyone, who it had been. A parent, like Sam, Dean and myself? Or a brother or sister? Maybe even an aunt, an uncle or cousin? I swallowed. Or maybe it was a deeper pain. Maybe it was a son or daughter. I twisted the washcloth in my hands. I couldn't even think of handling a pain like that. I sighed softly and felt tears breach the surface of my eyelids as I heard Riley giggle. It felt like I was closer to losing her every time I had one of those nightmares.

"Hey," Dean said, interrupting my thoughts and making my tears plop down my face. "I called the coroner…" I sniffed and wiped my face quickly, even though I knew he already saw. He came into the bathroom and stood behind me, running a hand through my hair. "What's wrong?"

Well, I couldn't go with 'nothing'. "My nose hurts."

I looked up and could see the anger light through his eyes like a match struck. "Bastard in there should have gotten his face taken in." He turned me and lifted my chin to look at my nose. "It's not broken right?"

I shook my head. "No," I said softly. "And its fine Dean, its nothing you wouldn't have done to her if you would have seen them first. And I'm sure Isaac would be as pissed as you are."

Dean rolled his eyes. "She hit you with the back of her gun, least I would have hit her with my first."

I smirked and poked his chest. "You think that gives you some kind of decency?"

Dean grinned. "Hell yeah it does!" I laughed and shook my head. He cupped my face and stroked over my cheek softly. "You okay?"

I swallowed. He knew it hadn't been my nose all this time. I smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah, I'm good."

He took my hand and led me into the small living room, where instead of a couch, was a ton of weapons and knick knacks to ward off spirits and kick some serious demon ass. I guess they had unloaded the trunk of their car, like Dean, Sam and I usually did when we went somewhere. The cardboard "Do not enter" sign came in handy a lot.

Dean sat down on a wooden table that seemed to hold his weight and pulled me back between his legs. I looked up at Tamara and smiled gently. She smiled back and then glanced at Isaac. I'm guessing she was relating herself to me and Dean with her and Isaac. Hunting was a long, hard and downright horrible sometimes. It was nice to be with someone intimate; it just helped you deal with things a little bit better. Least that's what I thought. Not that having Sam wasn't special and important. It was just different.

"Get this: that whole family, cause of death?" Dean looked at Sam and Bobby. "Dehydration and starvation." My mouth fell open a little bit. "There were no signs of restraint, no violence, no struggle. They just sat down and never got up."

Bobby scoffed. "But there was a fully-stocked kitchen just yards away."

Sam nodded. "Right. What is this, a demon attack?"

I looked over at Tamara and Isaac. Least they didn't look like they didn't know what was going on either. Because if they did, they didn't look like the sharing caring kinda people. "If it is, it's not like anything I ever saw. And I've seen plenty."

"Well, what now? What should we do?" Dean asked, pushing me up a little so he could get down.

"Uh, _we're_ not gonna do anything." Isaac scoffed and shook his head. "You guys seem nice enough. But this ain't _Scooby-Doo_. And we don't play well with others." I raised my eyebrows and actually felt kind of insulted.

Sam looked at them and shifted. "Well, I think we'd cover a lot more ground if we all worked together."

I nodded in agreement but Isaac just wasn't having it. "No offense, but we're not teaming with the damn fools who let the Devil's Gate get open in the first place."

I could feel Dean's anger from behind me before it bled into his words. ""No offense"?"

"Isaac, like you've never made a mistake." Tamara said quietly, trying to placate. Reminded me of Sam when she did that.

He scoffed again, and it sounded like a heap of laughter to my ears. I'm glad he thought this situation was so, so funny. "Oh, yeah. Locked my keys in the car. Turned my laundry pink. Never brought on the end of the world, though.

"You have no idea what went down there," I said, sticking up for Sam. "You weren't there."

"Good thing," He concluded. "Maybe I could have stopped it. Saved this world from a mess of trouble it doesn't need. How does it feel to know you opened that gate and your baby is less safe then she already was?"

My mouth fell open and Dean chuckled, the kind of laugh where you knew he was drop dead pissed. "All right, that's enough."

"Guys, this isn't helping." Sam said finally, looking at me as he shifted Riley in his arms. "Dean."

Dean finally pried his eyes away from Isaac and took Riley from Sam. He bounced her gently against him and she curled up into his leather jacket as sleep took her.

"Look, there are a couple hundred more demons out there now. We don't know where they are, when they'll strike. There ain't enough hunters in the world to handle something like this. You brought war down on us. On _all _of us." I shook my head and turned to head outside.

"Andy?" I heard Sam call.

"I just…I need a minute." I could feel Dean ready to follow me. "Alone, Dean, please? Just a minute." I didn't turn back to say it. I went outside, past the salt line and sat on the old wooden steps of the house.

I sighed and put my head in my hands. _"How does it feel to know you opened that gate and your baby is less safe then she already was?"_

I sniffled and shook my head. "What the fuck does he know anyway?" I asked myself quietly.

Suddenly the air around me was quiet. No crickets, no wind…nothing. I frowned softly and looked up from where I was sitting. I stood slowly on the wooden steps, but even those didn't creak. What was going on? I jumped as I heard a garbage can tumble, like a cat had jumped on it and knocked it over.

I looked up at the night sky, but before I could back up or run inside or even turn my head, black thick smoke pried open my mouth and clawed its way down my throat. My heart hammered in my chest, I knew what was going on but I couldn't stop it. I was being possessed. I fell back against the steps as my mouth snapped closed and my eyes opened. I could see out of them but I couldn't move them from side to side. There was a humming in my head, or…no someone was talking. But it wasn't English. A constant dead language pounding in my head like a drum.

My neck cracked from side to side as I stood. But I wasn't doing it, the thing inside me was. It made me walk down the stairs as look at my reflection in the impala side window. My eyes were as black as the night sky. I felt alarmed and all I wanted to do was run to Dean, but I couldn't get my legs to move.

"You're mine now, Andy." My mouth moved. It was talking to me. "But don't worry." It made my lips smile, something dark and not mine. "I'll take very, very good care of you."

The chanting grew louder and louder until it felt like my head would explode and then everything went black.

o0o0o0

reviews are really appricated :D


	3. Chapter 3: The Magnificent Seven Part 3

this chapter is dedicated to animotus at Livejournal. You really kicked my Muse into gear and gave me confidence, so thank you so much. Enjoy everyone!

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Chapter 3: The Magnificent Seven Part 3

Flashes of a department store. Of shoes and clothes and jackets. Of random people with their shopping bags and picking up things to buy. I tried to focus the thoughts but they were scattered. That's because they weren't mine. They were _it's_, the demon that shoved itself inside my body. I tried to collect myself and think harder, pulling the thoughts back. God it seemed like I was trying to drag myself out of a coma. Being possessed is underrated. You really never know how powerless you are until you have no control over your body. My heart skipped a beat, that I had done myself. I was thinking, no praying, that I hadn't done anything I would regret later. If the demon hurt innocent people while I was out…I don't know if I could forgive myself.

Suddenly all the thoughts I had lost came rushing back to me, like the demon was allowing me to witness them.

"_Excuse me." _My mouth asked a young blonde. She was pretty, obviously the type of person you'd see in a shoe department store. I found myself wondering what she needed the new pair of shoes for. Confidence, new job, funeral?

She turned around and smiled at me._ "Yes?" _She trusted me, I could tell with the way her voice sounded and her smile was genuine.

I watched as my arm moved, unwillingly of course and the demon placed my hand on her shoulder. My throat lurched as my voice spilled from my mouth. It seemed so alien sounding to me since I never gave the command to actually speak those words.

"_Those are nice shoes." _The demon made my voice sound pointedly, weighted as my head turned to motion to a brunette woman near the front of the store with red high heels.

The blonde turned and grinned at me._ "Ooh, yeah. They are nice." _I watched as she walked to the front of the store and confronted the other girl. I didn't really understand what was going on at first. This was this demon's shtick? To make blondes approach brunettes about shoes? It was odd, to say the least.

More images flashed past my head. Suddenly I was outside, walking away from the department store. At the end of the corner my body turned. I wanted to gasp but my lungs weren't my own anymore and the sudden intake of air didn't happen. The blonde from the department store was beating the burnets face into the windshield of a car. I felt my lips tug into a smile as the demon felt pleased with itself.

My vision was dark again; my eyes must have been shut. The memories were gone and the instead of my head was silent. _Who are you?_ I asked it so many times my voice felt hoarse even though I hadn't been talking with my vocal cords. It never once answered me and I felt it press me into some sort of unconsciousness, my voice grew quiet and I fell into a deep sleep.

O0o0o0o0o0o

The first thing I felt the second time I woke up was the headache, the extremely loud pounding in my ears. Was that from the headache or was that just my heart beating really loudly? Was I even alive? Just because the demon had been moving my hands and feet didn't really mean I was actually living. I tried to remember the last thing that had happened…after the department store. Had nothing happened while the demon had pushed me out of my own head? Or had a span of time passed that I wasn't aware of?

I could see…well I could sort of see a bar in my mind's eye. But it was fuzzy, like smog was over top of the image. I could also taste whiskey on my tongue and feel some type of alcoholic buzz running through my veins. Why was the demon letting me feel these things? Was it on purpose or accidental? Or did it just not give a shit anymore? I mean, I had no real control, what was the big deal on me knowing the past anyways?

Something had happened between the department store and the whiskey I could feel bubbling in my belly. The question was what. It seemed the longer the demon was inside me the harder it was to remember things…to grasp reality and figure out what was going on. I had to focus incredibly hard and it just made me feel even weaker. So very tired and weak. I guess that's what the demon really intended. For me to just get weaker and weaker and eventually fade away.

_Think, Andy, think. What the hell happened in that bar? _

The memories came flooding back in flashes. It was really clear when the demon wanted to let me know what was going on. When it let me see my memories my body unclenched, it nearly felt like the damn thing was relaxing or letting go. Or dare I think it, getting ready to expel itself from my body. I nearly felt like myself again, like I could move again, like I could move my arm if I wanted to. But just before I fought the demon over, the millisecond I felt in control, the damn thing would tense up and clench my fists like it was showing me that it was in control and wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Pictures of Isaac and Tamera at the bar. At a table. Drinking Beer. Kissing cheeks and saying goodbye. Tamara getting up to leave…where was she going? Why was she leaving her husband in a bar full of demons? I finally got my surroundings. There were six including me…seven. Didn't Tamara _know_? Isaac and Tamara were good hunters, they weren't the best but they weren't stupid. And my stomach sank. Maybe Tamara was getting up to leave because they _did_ know. She was leaving him because he loved her…and she loved him. And he thought he could handle this hunt, because…because they were only after one demon. The one that was inside _me_.

The next few images were blurred together, a black film covering my eyes making my vision black and white. Like if I was to see how a dog viewed the world. Suddenly my body had moved, though I didn't see the memory of moving it. I was in a group, surrounding Isaac. Another demon, tall and possessing a bald biker bar customer. Isaac. Other demons and myself. Isaac. Six. Isaac. Isaac. Isaac…drainer fluid. And then I had a sinking realization, though I couldn't tell if I was feeling it in the memory or if it was happening in this present moment…Isaac was going to die.

Green thick liquid turning red from his mouth onto the floor, his body shaking, coughing, sputtering…dying.

Then a loud, ear shattering crash as a car slammed its way into the front of the bar, destroying the wall and over turning tables and chairs. Lights fell from the ceiling and crashed onto the hood, sliding off and onto the floor. I _knew_ that car…but…how did I know it?

It only took five seconds after the booming entrance for the people inside the car to emerge. My heart leapt in my chest as I saw Dean, holy water in his hand. My natural instinct was to run to him but the demon in my body suppressed it and I found myself backing away from him. I felt anger burning in my chest, though it wasn't from me, it was _its_ anger and it was towards Sam, Dean and Bobby as they threw holy water into all of the demons.

I felt the liquid hit my skin, drenching me; it didn't hurt even though my skin was sizzling like I had been thrown into a pit of fire.

The demon roared inside me, making my ears hurt and my body shake. It took me more than a moment to realize that it wasn't just yelling in agony, it was also letting screams out through my mouth as it writhed in pain. But I myself felt no pain, thank God.

The last thing I saw was that I was running towards Dean as the rest of the demons tried to attack. But to no avail, Bobby kept dumping holy water on them as Sam grabbed Tamara away from her dead husband and dragged her to the car. They needed to keep the other demons at bay…they were only here for me.

Unfortunately, both the demon and I knew that. I'm guessing that was pretty easy to figure out when the Winchester moves when you got right between two people in love. I'm sure a lot of demons could predict our moves…humans follow their hearts in making decisions and evil loves to take advantage of that.

Dean picked me up easily but harshly threw me into the back of Bobby's trunk. Before the demon could retaliate or even get out of the trunk, Dean slammed it shut. The last thing I saw was the trunk closing over top of me, the Devil's Trap on the inside of the trunk lid keeping me inside. The demon blocked me out from my own body so forcefully it put me in some sort of coma…and that's the last thing I could remember before I woke up for the second time.

As the memories faded from my eyesight, like a movie being stopped after it's finished; my eyes blinked trying to regain focus. Why the demon was letting me see the present moment was beyond me. All it had been doing was letting me see recent memories but I was never awake for the present moment…why was it changing things up now?

"She's awake!" I heard someone yell…it was so fucking loud.

My throat swallowed, hard and tight, like my body was tensing. Though if it was I couldn't feel it. Demon was keeping me from feeling anything. I could tell I was tied to a chair, I knew Sam, Dean and Bobby had me. And I knew how a demon possession went we captured the host. Exorcism. Fuck I was so close to being safe. My heart fluttered in anticipation bit sank somewhat suddenly when the demon squashed the hopefulness in a matter of seconds.

Dean and Sam rushed into the room with Bobby. So who was with me, the person that screamed I was awake? My neck turned to look, as if the demon was curious too. It sure as hell wasn't me turning my own goddamn neck. Tamara…right Tamara. The demon made my lips smile as if it heard me think that…like it knew her.

My eyes twitched, focusing on Dean. My tongue licked my lips and my mouth turned into a smirk. "Hello Dean." My vocal cords vibrated in my throat; making sounds but God it didn't sound like me…even though the demon was obviously using my voice.

Dean was livid; anyone in the room could feel that. "Let her go…right now."

The demon used my lips to smile again. "Or what?"

Dean smirked and dumped a bucket of holy water on me. I screamed as my skin sizzled, though of course I wasn't the one hurt. I felt stronger, more prominent when the demon was in pain, distracted. In one brief moment, I had control. Its guard was down and I took advantage of it.

I jerked my head up and looked at Dean, all the love and human heartedness in my eyes, proving it was me. Dean knew it too; I could tell by the way he was looking at me. Any pain or stress he had left his eyes for a moment.

"…Andy?"

But in that moment I was gone and the demon reared its ugly head. "Your bitch is strong." My voice shook with anger and Dean's pain and lividness shot up in his eyes again. "Stronger than I thought." Then Dean looked proud. "I won't make that mistake twice."

Then it did something, I wasn't exactly sure what it was but I felt like I was falling into a black hole, like the life force was being sucked out of me. Farther and farther I fell and Dean kept getting further away.

Dean panicked and grabbed my shirt, jerking me towards him. I couldn't feel it…I could see it. But barely.

"What the fuck did you do?" He asked, I couldn't feel his hot breath on my face.

"Dean…" Sam cautioned.

My lips curled into a grin. "I just pushed Andy so far back in her mind that…you'll be lucky if she's in a coma by the time you get her back."

Dean gripped my shirt…I knew he wanted to hit me. Well not be specifically but he really wanted to take his anger out on this demon.

I had to stay strong, focused, had to try…had to stop falling.

Sam finally managed to pull Dean back from me. "Why are you here…what are you after?" Sam asked, swallowing.

The demon remained silent, just sitting inside me. Like it was mocking them somehow. It was really trying Dean's patience. He grabbed a holy water flask and filled it up. Before I, perhaps the demon too, knew it he splashed my face with the water.

The demon shook inside me like an earthquake but its painful cries never left my lips.

"He asked you a question!" Dean's voice sounded shaky. I couldn't tell if it was from anger or worry. "What do you want?"

It sniffled and panted softly as it shook my head. Water dripped from my hair, sizzling the skin on my arms as it fell. "We already have…what we want." My voice sounded tired, which was deceiving. I could feel the demon's strength, power. It was no where near being tired. Before Dean's impatience ran out and he started throwing more holy water the demon explained. "We're out….we're free. Thanks to you," I looked at Sam and Dean. "And Andy too, my kind are everywhere." Sam grimaced and glanced at Dean, who never took his eyes off me. "I am legion…for we are many. So me," I smiled again. "I'm just celebrating…having a little fun."

Sam raised his eyebrows in speculation. "Fun?"

It wasn't the kind of fun humans thought of. "Yeah, fun. See some people golf, others crotchet…me?" My head turned to look at Tamara. "I like to see people's insides…on their outsides." I smiled. "Kind of like Isaac choking on his own blood."

Suddenly I could feel everything. The chill of my skin from the holy water, the throb of my hands and feet being bound to the chair, my body, my senses. Everything. I felt like I was in control again. And then I realized why. As soon as Isaac's name left my mouth, Tamara leaned forward and punched my face. Hard. Dean and Bobby hurriedly pulled her back from me as my head snapped to the side from the force of the hit. I felt my face throb and light up with pain from the bruise forming and cut on my lip. The demon smirked inside me.

"_You wanted to feel."_ I could hear it whisper to me…inside my body.

The feeling was gone as the demon took hold of my body again and laughs built in my chest and escaped my mouth. It spit the blood from my lip and looked at the group.

"_Don't_ touch her again." Dean threatened Tamara.

Any rebuttal that could have been said was cut off by the demon. "You…actually think that you're better then me…don't you? Which one of you can cast the first stone?" It turned my head towards Dean and smiled, its point was about to be proven. "What about you Dean? You're practically a walking billboard for gluttony and lust."

Dean didn't look surprised, actually he looked smug. I wish I could have rolled my eyes. Leave it to Dean to be impressed with the fact he was a billboard for those sins. Sins…wait…that's…that's what this thing was? A _sin_? We're the seven deadly sins actual demons?

"And Andy…" I watched as Dean and Sam tensed. "All this anger penting up inside her…because she knows what I want to do to each of you…and her baby." It had to be the seven deadly sins. It mentioned lust, gluttony…anger. The family who we found all dead on their couch…sloth. And the demon that got Isaac was gluttony…and me…I was possessed by envy. I had to be. It explained the shoes and the department store women.

My thoughts went back to what Envy had just said…that wasn't true. Envy had not once thought about harming my baby. Though its not like it wouldn't if it wanted to, it just wasn't its main objective. The I realized that what it was saying had nothing to do with me. It had to do with angering Sam and Dean…and I could tell it was working. They looked pissed.

Dean looked at Bobby and Bobby stepped into the next room for a moment and then came back in. "Riley's fine Dean, she's fast asleep."

Relief blossomed in my chest and Envy made me smile again, hurting my cheeks. "For now. How long do you think it'll be before she gets caught up in the crossfire?"

A question that had been burdening Dean and my hearts since the day I had her. No one said it out loud but it was sadly obvious that it had crossed out minds more than once. Envy smirked, clearly pleased it had hit some nerves.

Dean came closer and leaned down on the arm chair, putting his face inches away from mine. "I'm gonna put you down like a dog."

Envy smirked again and grazed my lips along Dean's. "Please?" It taunted. It sat back from him and swallowed, a smile never leaving my face. "Anger just added to your list of sins, Dean. It's my point exactly. You call us sins…we're not! We are natural human instinct…" Dean backed up and stood among Sam, Bobby and Tamara. "And you can repress and deny us all you want." It sounded like a dare. "But the truth is…is that you are just animals."

Envy looked up at Dean and the room became black and white again as the black film covered my eyes. "Horny…greedy…hungry…violent animals." It licked the blood off my lips from the cut. "And you know what? You'll be slaughtered like animals too…the others are coming for me."

Now Dean smiled. "It's too bad you won't be here to find…because you'll be in hell."

Envy's grin fell from my face and I smiled inside. Finally. The exorcism.

"Go Sam." Dean instructed.

Sam smiled, reciting the Latin language he learned by heart. Regno terrae cantate Deo, soli te Domino tribute virtutem deo exorcizamus te...spiritus admissi satanica potestas…"

The demon cringed and it let out a soft moan from my lips. I could feel my feet.

Sam continued. "Erditiones venenam propinare. Vade satana inventor et magister omnis…invocato at nomi santo et tribali nomine quem inferi tremant."

Envy shook inside my body and I could feel it separating from my blood, my boners, my muscles and skin. I could feel my legs, my arms, my abdomen, and my torso.

"A mercedes diavoli libera nos domine, ut ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facies."

I felt my mouth open and I felt myself cough and gag as the demon was expelled from my body like a stomach virus, black smoke curling out of my mouth like a chimney towards the ceiling.

"Exert tua virtute et fortitudinem levi sue benedectis deus gloria patri!"Sam finished.

In an instant the smoke was gone, banging against the ceiling and disappearing. I slumped back against the chair, feeling incredibly weak and tired but…this was good. At least I was feeling something. At least I could _feel_ myself.

I leaned my head up and coughed, I swallowed thickly, my throat dry. "Dean?" I asked weakly. "Sammy?"

They both rushed at me at once, like their names had been a gunshot in an Indie 500 race. Sam untied my legs as Dean leaned over me to reach his arms behind the chair to get my hands untied. I leaned my head against his chest as he worked the knots. I sniffled, taking in the familiar scent of him. I felt my eyes close for a moment; I had never remembered him smelling so goddamn comforting.

He pulled back and cupped my face, keeping my head from slumping down like a ragdoll. His thumb danced over the bruise around my mouth. "Are you okay?"

"I am now." I said softly. "Is Riley…?"

He nodded. "She's perfectly fine, sleeping. Which I have a feeling you should be doing right about now."

I shook my head. "Dean, I can't."

I was tired; my voice was a perfect example of that. But I couldn't just sleep this off. This war was coming, hard and fast and I didn't have time to just sleep around. I needed to help them. I felt like a quitter if I slept, leaving them to fight. Granted it was a small battle, Dean, Sam, Tamara and Bobby could very well handle this without me perfectly. But I didn't want to be that person that just…laid back while their loved ones fought the good fight. No matter how tired and worn out I was.

I swallowed. "Envy…was right. The others are coming for him. I want to help." Dean helped me up from the chair and my legs gave out from under me as my feet gained my entire weight. He scooped under the back of my knees and picked me up in his arms.

"I know you do." Dean said softly. "But you're not exactly a prime example of a strong fighter right now. You can barely stand."

"Well…they're not here now." I smirked softly. "I got time to recuperate."

Sam smiled at that and Dean shook his head, smirking softly. "You're stubborn Andrea Core. I'll give you that."

I smiled, genuine, warm, and happy. "I learned from the best, Winchester."

Dean scoffed. "I am no where near stubborn."

Sam groaned and I laughed. "Don't make us pick out examples." Sam threatened.

I smiled at the two of them. "Come here guys…give me a hug, yeah?"

Dean smiled and set me down on my feet and pulled me very close, hugging me tightly to him. I felt Sam came around my back and embraced me too, curling me inside a very warm cocoon of Winchester. I breathed them both in and smiled as I felt their warmth…their love. I loved them both so much. So very much.

"I thought…at one point, I thought…" I couldn't finish. Couldn't bear saying that I thought I would never see them again. It was just a possession, something I knew they knew how to handle. Saying that felt like I had no confidence in them that they could get me back. But it wasn't just that. Meg died inside herself too…demons did crazy things with human vessels…and I could have easily suffered the same fate.

Sam ran a hand through my hair and I felt Dean place a gentle kiss on my forehead. "You're safe now." Sam whispered.

"Yeah, we got you back." Dean smiled that same toothy grin I always fell in love with. "We'll always get you back." He promised.

"I hate to break this sentimental _Hallmark_ moment," I smirked softly as Sam pulled back. We all looked at Bobby. "But we do have the rest of the seven deadly sins on our asses. Some preparation would be nice."

I looked up at Dean, not letting go of him yet. "I'll stay with Riley and only help if I'm needed. We got enough protective charms and seals that I can leave her if entirely necessary."

Dean nodded and curled hair behind my ear. "Alright." He kissed my nose. "Start drawing them around her okay? I'll help after I set up some holy water and salt."

As I drew many protection symbols around Riley and brushed the chalk off my hands a strong wind blew through the house and shook its frame, blowing some candles out that were lit for light. The room plunged into darkness and I stepped inside the protective circles with Riley.

"Dean?" I called out.

"Stay put Andy, we're fine."

I nodded obediently and gripped the holy water in my hand. I moved closer to where Riley was in her car seat and kneeled down to take her little hand in mine. The radio on the side of the room, that had looked ancient when I glanced at it a few hours before I was possessed, started playing a creepy religious music all by itself. No plug…no power. I really loved when spirits or demons decided to be all creepy with that kind of stuff.

A male voice crackled out of the radio, it sounded like a song that hadn't been played on radio stations in a long time. A banjo moaned and the males voice sputtered, "_I shall be, I shall not be moved. I shall be…I shall not be moved." _

I would have laughed if the eeriness in the room hadn't been choking me. What an appropriate song for the seven deadly sins.

I felt someone come up next to me and I stood again, gasping softly as they took my arm. "Shh, it's me." Dean said gently.

I swallowed and leaned into him for a moment and I felt him place a gentle kiss on his head.

"Tamara! Tamara!" I froze and looked up at Dean even though I couldn't see him. He grabbed my hand and squeezed softly. Was that Isaac?

I heard Tamara crying near the front of the room, where Bobby and Sam must have been as well.

"Tamara! Tamara! Help me! Please!" Isaac yelled outside and I swallowed. She had to be strong, had to know it wasn't really him outside. Isaac was dead, her and I had both witnessed it. I looked down. I really wish I didn't remember…that the demon hadn't let me remember. "Help me, Tamara, baby _please. _I got hurt, I need help!"

"It's not him." I said to her and swallowed. "We both know…he didn't get hurt. He died, Tamara." I hated to break her heart more, pouring salt in her open wound. I had to be harsh, she had to understand and not try to run outside and break the salt line. I knew how she felt, hearing that there was nothing she could do. I squeezed Dean's hand a little. I knew what it felt like to be helpless.

"She's right." Sam said from the other side of the room. "One of those demons is possessing his corpse."

I jumped as Isaac pounded on the door. This was so, so wrong. Torture. And I didn't need to see Tamara to know she was wavering. Who could really blame her? "You're just gonna leave me out here? You're just gonna let me die? How could you _do_ this to me?" Isaac hissed, pounding against on the door.

And then in a rushed Tamara kicked the door open and it hit Isaac, making him fall down the stairs.

"Tamara, no!" I yelled and tried to go foreword to help but Dean grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Andy, don't!" I struggled for a moment before I realized we had an even bigger issue. The candles lit themselves as they hurried inside. The six other deadly sins. I froze and then backed up into Dean, like he was some sort of protective force.

Then I realized what we were dealing with. These weren't just demons possessing people. It felt like we were out of our league, against something we should have never had to deal with. It was our fault these things were on earth…and it'd just be our fault again if we let them kill us.

O0o0o00o

Demons rushed at everyone. It seemed to go way too fast. A heavy weight man went towards Bobby, making the house shake as he walked. I could have put money on it that that was Sloth we were dealing with. Before I looked away I smiled as the damn stupid thing walked right under the Devil's Trap on the ceiling. Two down, five to go.

The moment I turned back to look at the door an attractive blonde was approaching Dean and I.

I snorted, which was bad I found this whole think funny. "Lemme guess, you're Lust?" I asked.

She smiled a very luring and sexy smile. She grabbed me and wailed me across the room, before I could see where she took Dean.

"Andy!" I heard him yell as I slammed into a bookcase full of books, knocking it over. But as I looked up to where Riley was, perfectly safe within the protective circles, Dean was gone. Panic gripped my heart…or maybe that was pain. A few books had successfully pushed into my back with their hard corners and I was definitely starting to feel the effects of being thrown into a bookcase.

I must have stepped out of the circle, that's how she grabbed me. I leaned up and held my chest. I saw Sam running over, demons behind him, watching him carefully.

"Come on, we gotta run." He picked me up and started for the stairs.

"Riley…" I said weakly as he carried me with swiftness up the creaky stairs and down a hallway.

"Bobby's got her, don't worry, I made sure." He ran into another room and set me down in the middle of the floor. "Can you stand?"

I nodded. "It hurts."

"Lemme see where it hurts." He instructed.

I lifted my shirt up and I could feel bruises on my back. He poked and prodded around them. Sure it hurt but I knew what he was looking for would hurt way worse if I had broken any. "Your ribs are fine." I sighed in relief. "None of them are broken or cracked." I nodded, relieved. "We'll put some ice on it later."

"If we ever get out of here?" I retorted and he rolled his eyes.

"Way to be a glass half full there, sunshine."

I smirked and he smiled a little, it didn't reach his eyes. I heard the floor creak and looked over to the entrance and swallowed. Three other sins walked in and smiled at us, they were almost to the circle.

"Here's Johnny!" The man in the suit spit out, it sounded more angry then humorless. Regardless Sam and I weren't laughing. He smirked and stopped just in front of the circle. "Come on. You really think something like that is gonna fool someone like me? I mean, _me_?"

I swallowed and looked up at Sam. He wasn't impressed either. "Let me guess: you're pride."

Pride grinned at us and gave us a wave, an upward motion as the ceiling cracked and began to crumble; bits of paint and plaster falling from it and crashing to the ground. The protective circle was useless.

"The root of all sin." He grinned like he was proud. "And you are Sam Winchester." He looked at the floor and at me; his cold eyes making me shiver. "And Andrea Core. That's right, I've heard of you. We've all heard of you –- the prodigy to yellow eyes, the Boy King with his cute little crush at his side."

Sam cheeks tinted ever so slightly and his hands curled into fists.

"Looking at you two now, I've gotta tell you: don't believe the hype. Who's gonna follow cut-rate, piss-poor humans like yourselves?" He walked closer to me and Sam stepped in front. "I mean…" He smirked. "You humans just…break so easily. And now, with your yellow-eyed friend dead," I had never considered Yellow Eyes a friend…but I guess when you thought about it, in this situation, he kind of was. It kept Sam and me off limits to other demons. Odd how things worked out in the end. "I guess I don't really have to do a damn thing now, do I? You're fair game now. And it's open season."

We were bracing ourselves. This was it. Sam and I were out numbered and out gunned…meaning we had nothing. Not even holy water to protect ourselves. It was a horrible thought, but I'm sure Sam was thinking it as well. Who would have guessed that he and I would have died before Dean? Before his stupid deal dragged him to hell? 

Suddenly a woman entered, and for a moment I thought she was another sin, I thought she was Lust because of her blonde hair. But then I realized she wasn't one of them because she was killing the demons…with some kind of knife. Who the fuck was she? Bat Woman?

"_You_!" One of the demons exclaimed…right before Ruby slit her throat with the knife. It killed just like the Colt…it killed demons. The demons knew her. Was she a well known hunter…if she was we would have heard of her. No…she wasn't a hunter. And I felt this creeping suspicion inside my stomach, curling up like something dead. I didn't trust her. I didn't know her, didn't know why she was saving our lives with a knife we'd never seen before…but I knew my instincts. And my instincts wanted me to kill her along with the other demon she was taking out.

Pride was the only demon left, looking stunned…looking at this girl vigilante.

Sam punched Pride across the mouth and she stabbed the damn demon through his jugular. I swallowed as he collapsed to the floor.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked as Sam helped me off the floor.

She smirked, putting her knife away. "I'm the girl that just saved your ass."

Sam rolled his eyes, though I could tell he was actually very grateful she showed up. "Well, I just saved yours, too."

She smiled at him, apparently seeing the gratefulness like I did. It made her proud…cocky. "See you around, Sam."

"Wait!" Sam called out for her as she left the room but she didn't stop. He looked at me and I swallowed.

"Don't look at me, I have no idea who that was."

Sam sighed. "I've never seen her before…how did she know who I was?"

"I don't know…" I said softly, looking at the bodies around us. I sighed; just another day at the office. "But I don't like her."

Sam smirked. "How can you know that? She just saved our lives."

I suddenly became angry. "Yeah…with a knife we've never seen before and for no reason at all. She had no reason to save us…" I licked my lips and Sam swallowed. I shook my head. "She's going to come back…and she's going to want us to repay the favor."

Sam looked at me, almost defending her. I could tell by the way his lips opened and then closed, and then he sighed, defeated. Why was he so willing to rush to defend this girl when he had no idea who she was…or even what she was.

I felt a pattern coming on…if she were ever to come back. And I prayed to god we'd never see the blonde Bat woman again. We had enough problems on our hands…we didn't need to add a whole nother one.

O0o0o0o0o0o0

I jiggled Riley in my arms, holding her close to me and bouncing her form up and down. I smiled at her and kissed her head.

"Hey, how bout you give me the cute baby and you can dig a ditch?" Dean asked and smiled at me, looking up at me in the ditch.

I smirked. "Oh, you made that sound so appealing, I'll hand her right over."

Sam smirked and glanced over at Tamara, who was near her car going through her weapons. "You think she's gonna be all right?" Sam asked, looking at us.

Dean sighed and shook his head. "No. Definitely not." He crawled out of the hole. "How's your back?"

"It's fine." I replied softly, just looking at Riley and her curling her fingers around my hair. I smiled softly and Dean leaned closer, placing a kiss on my cheek. "We'll get some ice when we get back to the motel."

Dean opened his arms, indicating he wanted Riley and I smirked. "You're all dirty."

He smiled. "Thought that's how you liked me." He waggled his eyebrows and I laughed, Sam groaned.

"Any survivors, Bobby?" He asked before he could hear anything else inappropriate coming from Dean's mouth.

"The pretty girl and the heavy guy –- they'll make it. A lifetime of therapy bills ahead, but still." Bobby answered, helping Sam out of the ditch.

Dean took his button down shirt off and cast it aside, there wasn't as much dirt on the shirt he had on underneath. I smiled and gently handed Riley to him and she cooed. I stroked her head for a moment as Dean held her against his side, pulling me to lean into the other. I rested my head over his heart and breathed in his scent. He placed a kiss on my head and then kissed Riley's nose. The smile she gave reached her eyes.

"Bobby, that knife we told you about–- what kind of blade could kill a demon?"

"Yesterday, I'd have said there was no such thing." Bobby shook his head, it sincerely puzzling him.

"Who was she? She ever say?" Dean asked and I shook my head.

"No…nothing." I sighed softly and looked at the three bodies in the ground. "If we let out the seven deadly sins, what else did we let out?" I whispered and Dean looked at Sam.

Nothing was said as the match was tossed into the pit.

O0o0o0o0o0o

We said our goodbyes to Tamara and headed back to the car. I helped Dean put Riley in the car seat. "So, where to?" I asked, buckling her in and putting the blanket around her as Dean handed it to me.

Sam looked at me. "I don't know. I was thinking Louisiana, maybe." The statement was weighted and I gave my head a slight shake.

"It's a little early for Mardi Gras, isn't it?" Dean asked smiling at me. I smiled back too but it was soft. He could tell something was up and he just sighed even before Sam said anything.

"Listen, I was talking to Tamara, and she mentioned this hoodoo priest just outside Shreveport that might be able to help us out. You know, with your demon deal."

Dean shook his head, getting out of the car and shutting the backseat door. I got out as well and rounded the car. "Nah."

Sam raised his eyebrows. "Nah? What does that mean, nah?" This was so not a fight I wanted to hear or be a part of right now.

Dean was being patient…which was really surprising when it came to this topic. Usually he had been livid with Sam and me if we ever tried to do research on this demon deal of his. "Sam, no hoodoo spell is gonna break this deal, all right? It's a goose chase."

"You know what?" And Sam had finally had it. "I've had it. I've been bending over backwards trying to be nice to you, and I don't care anymore."

Dean smirked. "That didn't last long."

I sighed softly and leaned against the car door. "It's not funny Dean." I said softly.

"Yeah, we've been busting our asses, trying to keep you alive, Dean. And you act like you couldn't care less. What, you got some kind of death wish or something? You're just so looking forward to leaving Andy and Riley behind."

Dean ground his teeth. God, he was trying not to wail Sam across the face with a heavy fist. Not only because he was angry…but because he was right. Anyone who knew Dean could see the change in him. Even me sometimes. I tried not to notice it. It was just fear. Plain and naked fear. And Dean that scared…scared the living hell out of me. So I chose not to notice it most of the time…but he really was acting like he didn't care sometimes. Which broke my heart too. Either way, I was getting hurt. So what did it matter anyways?

" No, it's not like that." Dean finally said.

"Then what's it like, Dean?" Sam challenged, asking for a god damn punch.

"Alright that's enough." I finally said. "I just…God I don't want to fight anymore. Please?"

Sam scoffed as he looked at me. "What you want him to…you just want to let him go? Let him die?" I swallowed, you could see the pain in Sam's eyes. And I knew he could see the same pain in my eyes too.

"God Sam." I looked away. "How could you say that? Of course not."

"You're not helping me!" Which wasn't true, that's all I'd been doing. But he was scared, upset, pointing fingers while he could. No one wanted it to be their fault for not being able to save Dean from this. I just let the comment slide past me.

"Leave her alone." Dean threatened. "Listen to me. We trap the crossroads demon? Trick it? Try to welch our way out of the deal in any way? You die. Okay? You _die._ Those are the terms. There's no way out of it. If you try to find a way, so help me God, I'm gonna stop you."

Sam shook his head and tears filled his eyes. "How could you make that deal, Dean?"

Dean smirked sadly. "Because I couldn't live with you dead. Couldn't do it."

"What, so now, I live and you die? So Andy has to be a single mother and Riley doesn't get to have a father?" I closed my eyes.

Dean swallowed. "That's the general idea, yeah." He wasn't being mean or harsh and it wasn't that he didn't give a fucking damn. He said that because it was just a plain fact, those things were going to happen when Dean died.

Sam scoffed and I turned away, I couldn't get a hold of my damn emotions. I swore I was not going to cry like this anymore…not until the day came where he had to go. Then…I'd sob. Probably for a very, very long time. Who knows…maybe I would never really stop. I'd be broken and dead inside. But I'd keep my head up…for Riley and Riley only. Fuck the rest of the world. As far as I was concerned, I'd died along with Dean.

"Yeah, well, you're a hypocrite, Dean. How did you feel when Dad sold his soul for you? 'Cause I was there. I remember. You were twisted and broken." I remembered too.

"_Dean! Dean, stop! Dean!" I tried to get as close as I could to him, without getting hit myself. But he was so caught up in making each blow more forceful than the last I'm sure he didn't even hear me. "Dean, please stop." I begged him, tears coming to my eyes at the sight. This was the breaking I had known was going to happen but it was even more painful for me to watch._

_His heavy breaths turned into wracking sobs that made his chest heave. "Andy, please." I heard him beg me as he tried clawing at my arms. He was gripping them, like he'd fall through the ground if he didn't hang on. "Please."_

_I pulled him into my arms holding him tightly as I felt his arms wrap around my back. He buried his face in my shoulder and let the sobs take him. _

I swallowed and opened my eyes at the memory, tears pouring down my cheeks.

"And now, you go and do the same thing to me." Sam asked, continuing. "What you did was selfish."

"Yeah. You're right. It was selfish. But I'm okay with that." I sniffled, pretty aware that they weren't even paying attention to me now. Which was good. I didn't want to be the damn center of attention. Either they couldn't hear me because they were too wrapped up in their stupid fight or they just didn't want to hear me, blocked me out. "After everything I've done for this family, I think I'm entitled. Truth is, I'm tired, Sam. And I don't know, it's like there's a light at the end of the tunnel."

He was so, so fucking stupid. "It's hellfire, Dean." I said shortly. This wasn't a joke. I don't think he actually knew what he was getting into. Hell wasn't what you saw in the movies or in cartoons. It was pain…wrenching, awful, horrible pain. And you'd never escape it. Or die from it. When Hell had you…it had you forever. Dean was going to experience pain forever.

A sob fell out of my throat and I felt both boys shift behind me. Whatever Dean was going to retort to that; with that stupid "I'm afraid of nothing, bring hell on!" bravado, it never left his mouth. He didn't say anything.

I sniffled and try to keep the rest of the tears from falling but I was too far along and they were relentlessly pouring from my cheeks. I felt Dean put a hand on my shoulder, I could see it was him through the reflection of the car window. I wanted to fight him, be angry and pissed and punch him and scream at him, ask him why the fuck would he ever do this to me? He made me fall in love with him…and now I'd have to watch him die. Experience such a pain all over again. First my mom and then my dad. Now Dean.

But I didn't yell…or scream or hit. I just turned and buried myself in his chest. What could I really do? I couldn't be mad at him…not for things like this. Not for anything. I didn't have much time left with him. And all I wanted was for him to hold me…and never let me go.

o0o0o0o0o0

i hope everyone liked it :) review please!


	4. Chapter 4: The Kids are Alright Part 1

alright, i so wrote this chapter in one day :D i hope you like it! review please!

o0o0o0o0o0o

Chapter 4: The Kids are Alright Part 1

"_Hydrokinesis." He said smoothly, his voice velvety soft. This man was dangerous, I could feel it. But…I felt like he was misconstrued. Like, he had something deep and dark inside him like a storm upon an ocean that he was trying to fight to control. Why do I always have to find the good in people…it got me into trouble more then it saved me. _

"_So what does that mean…exactly?"_

_The man smiled at me. "I can…control water."_

_I swallowed and watched his hands for a moment and then looked up at his eyes. "Why are telling me this? I could easily tell the guys I was with…you're responsible…" _

_He smiled again and his face…it was…beautiful. His eyes were a deep blue color and his hair a sandy brown; it was straggly on top of his head. I noticed the cleft in his chin as his head tipped downwards to look at me and his cheekbones were deep, outlining his lips and his eyes somehow. _

"_You won't tell them…I trust you, Andy." _

_I knew him…like I remembered knowing Jason. He was a friend I knew…maybe I had even dated at one point. Why couldn't I remember his name? _

"_I'm sorry…I have to. What you're doing…even if you can't control it, its wrong. It's…hurting people." He frowned. It was the saddest thing I've ever seen. A sad frown shouldn't been on a face so beautiful. "And I couldn't bear lying to Dean."_

"_Dean." He said. The one word sounded angry. _

_He suddenly took my face in my hands and I heard Sam and Dean yelling my name from behind me. It was then I noticed…I was on a bridge. I felt rain hit my skin, drenching my clothes. _

"_I'm so sorry, Andy." He said, kissing my lips. His lips were ice cold, like the water hitting my skin. "I don't really have a choice…" _

_It was then I realized that…the water wasn't rain. It was the water from the lake below the bridge. He had moved it! Moved it up from the lake to encircle me. I screamed as the water picked me up in a fast and fluid motion and threw me off the bride and into the rest of the icy water below._

O0o0o0o0o0

I jolted awake and hit my head on something. "_Ow_." I swore and rubbed my head. I looked to the side of me and saw I had hit the damn wall. Wait…I was in a diner?

"Andy?" I looked to my left and saw Sam, those worried lines crossing his skin again. He was on the phone with someone and then turned back to the conversation. "Bobby, I'm gonna have to call you back. Yeah." He hung up and looked at me. "You okay?"

"What…?" Was that all I had managed to say. Wow, I was disoriented. I didn't even remember getting up and heading to the diner, where I had apparently fallen asleep on Sam's shoulder.

"You hit your head hard?" He asked and gently brushed my hair to the side, over the bruise forming.

"Ow Sam." I swatted his hand away and a small smile danced on his lips.

"Sorry."

I swallowed and looked down at the cup of coffee in front of me on the table and then looked at Sam. "Sorry I fell asleep on you."

He smiled and something told me he really had no problem with it at all. "Its fine…you're exhausted. That's what happens when a baby keeps you up half the night."

I nearly smacked my forehead. Of course! Now I remembered. Riley woke everyone up last night, crying in loud shrilling sounds. It was the first night that she had done that since she was born. She startled Dean so much that he grabbed a weapon before checking on Riley. He thought she was being attacked. Which, even though she was crying, was unlikely. We salted the doors and windows every night and not to mention she was protected by several charms and demonic traps. Nothing was getting to her unless it was human.

We tried calming her half the night but even Dean couldn't get her to settle. Eventually though, she did…about an hour before we got up to start the day. I could feel my body literally lose energy as I sat up and thought through what had happened. I was exhausted.

"Where's Dean?" I asked Sam.

Sam frowned…was he offended or something. I wanted to roll my eyes but I didn't. Didn't have the damn willpower. "He's taking her to Bobby's for a little. We have another case and he figured that she'd be safe with Bobby and that he hasn't seen her for a while."

I nodded and rubbed my forehead. Good, at least I didn't need to worry about her being safe. "Why were you on the phone with him?"

"Oh," Sam sipped his coffee. "I ordered you pancakes."

I frowned. "You called Bobby to tell him you ordered me breakfast?" He shrugged. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "Sam, you're a bad liar. Like…an awful one."

He smirked softly and looked at me. "You can't tell Dean." Wow I didn't like the sound of that. I sighed and nodded. I at least wanted to hear it, telling Dean however was up to me. And if Sam was about to do something stupid, I was telling him.

"It's a demon-dispelling ritual. But…I don't know we're just not adding things up right. We maybe have got the translation wrong."

I shook my head. "Sam, Dean wants us to back off."

He was really angry in a very short amount of time. "And you want to listen to him? Andy, if we don't find something to help Dean, he's going to die. And he's going to go to hell. Not for a short amount of time, for forever."

I closed my eyes and breathed through my nose. "I understand the conditions, okay? But if we screw with this, you could die." I looked up at him.

Sam rolled his eyes. "I'm supposed to be dead anyways."

I smacked his arm, really hard. "Don't ever say that Sam!" I said, fucking angry and close to tears.

I looked at the table and just stared at it till tears made my eyesight blurry. I felt him shift a couple times and then move closer, putting an arm around me. He rubbed my shoulder, moving my frame a little. It made the tears disconnect themselves from my eyes and they fell down my cheeks, plopping onto the table and my jeans.

I felt his lips in my hair, which made me uncomfortable but I let him do it anyway. Pulling away now wasn't going to make anything better. "I'm sorry." He said.

I licked my lips and sniffled. "You both are ridiculous. If things wouldn't have worked out the way they are now…you'd both be dead. Dean would have died when he had that heart attack and you…well, you know." I felt sobs burn in my chest. "And I'd be all alone…"

I felt Sam's lips frown against my head and he turned me so I folded into his chest. He held me closely and rubbed my back gently. "Shh." He said softly. "I'm sorry, okay? You're right. You're right." He sighed and I breathed in his vanilla scent. "I'll…" It was hard for him to say, I could tell. "I'll settle down on the search."

If I wasn't genuinely upset right now I could have made a crack about how both boys folded so easily when I cried. But I didn't want him to think this was just a joke or a way to get him to do what I wanted. Because it wasn't. He had no idea how terrified I was to lose either of them…or both of them. It was something that…I couldn't bear.

I leaned back after a moment and he handed me a tissue from his coat pocket. I nodded in thanks and blew my nose. After a few moments of composing myself I sipped my coffee. It was lukewarm now, but still drinkable.

"Can I ask you what your dream was about?" Sam asked gently, like I might cry again.

Great. That was so not how I wanted to be seen. "I'm okay." I told him and he just nodded, like he had no idea what I was talking about. Whatever, I didn't want to get into it again. "I uhm, I actually don't know. I mean, it's hard to explain. I was on a bridge with…a man. And from what I could tell, I knew him. Like I knew Jason."

I looked up at him and he realized his eyebrows. "Jason as in I-tried-to-kill-you-Jason?"

I glared at him. "Yes, Sam what other homicidal Jason do you know?"

He sighed. "What about this man?" He was growing impatient, though I couldn't tell if it was from my attitude or from my slow recollection telling of what happened.

"We were on a case that had to do with…people drowning, I guess. It seems like the only logical explanation."

His eyebrows creased. "Why would you think that?"

"Because he told me he could control water. He had the power of," I thought for a moment. "Hydrokinesis." I nodded and looked up into Sam's eyes. "That sound right? Or have you ever heard of that or anyone who could do that?"

Sam sighed softly and licked his lips. "Uh, I'd have to research it and everything but I think there was something about it my dad's journal."

"It couldn't be anything like a water wraith right?"

He shook his head. "No, water wraiths don't leave the shore line. And they can't control water like that; they just lure people to drown."

I nodded softly. "So whoever this," Was friend the right word? "Guy is he's human? And learned to control water?"

"It's possible." He looked at me. "A lot of humans can learn to possess greater abilities through meditation and practice. Kind of like monks…"

I smirked. "Monks? I don't think this guy was a monk."

He smiled and bumped shoulders with me. "I didn't say he was either. He'd have to go to a certain monastery, stay there for years and learn that type of meditation."

"So how could he obtain a power like that?"

He shrugged softly and then leaned back as the waitress delivered our food. I looked down at the pancakes and started spreading butter over them while Sam ate a piece of his bacon. "It could be he was just born with it, or he," He looked at me. "Got it from a demon."

I swallowed and then poured syrup over the pancakes. "Like Jason and Yellow Eyes."

"Yeah." He said softly and sipped his coffee.

I couldn't kill another person…well as far as my dream went looks like I wouldn't get to. The asshole threw me off a bridge. My eyes widened and I dropped my fork, how did I forget that damn detail!?

"Andy?"

I looked at Sam and swallowed. "I uhm, I forgot…he uses the water from the lake under the bridge and he…"

Sam turned to face me and took my hands. "He what?"

I started feeling panicked, hadn't my dreams about Jason turned out the same? Granted, I hadn't died, but Dean almost did, not to mention I had killed him. What if these dreams turned out the same way…what if, what if the drowning I had seen with Riley in the tub was because of this man? Was he going to take me out and Riley too?

"Andy, sweetheart, you're hyperventilating. Please try to relax."

I felt that icy water grip my throat and my chest felt tight. "He…he threw me off the bridge and I drowned in the water, Sam."

He swallowed his face became very serious, protective and worried all at once. I felt like I could read his eyes too, he was thinking the same thing: how could we prevent something like that?

O00o0o0o

"You mind telling me what the fuck is going on?" I looked up from Sam's arms to see Dean, standing there in his leather jacket looking…actually looking really pissed. I sniffled and leaned up and Sam's hand drifted down my back and held my lower waist for a moment before letting go. "I leave you with her for two hours and I come back and she's a mess."

"Hey!" I pouted while Sam glared at him. Dean smiled, pushing the table back away from us a little bit so he could take my hand and pull me from the booth without Sam getting up from the seat.

I collided against his chest and wrapped my arms around him, under his jacket. He held me close to him and kissed the top of my head. I could actually tell from his stance that he was angry, but I couldn't tell if it was from me being upset or because Sam was cradling me close when he came into the restaurant. I breathed in his scent, calming down immediately, and decided I wasn't going to try to figure out which one it had been.

"Something happen?" He asked softly.

I swallowed and nodded softly, rubbing my face against his chest. I kissed his neck and then pulled back. I shimmied into the other side of the booth and took my plate from across the table. Dean sat next to me and started picking at my food with a fork. I smiled softly and rested my head on his shoulder as he ate. It was weird how much I missed him when he went away…maybe it was because I was on a timer with him. I couldn't bear remember the numbered days I had left with him.

"I didn't do anything." I heard Sam say, knocking me out of my daydreaming.

"Huh? Oh right, Dean, Sam wasn't the reason I was upset. I had a dream about a man who could control water." Sam nodded and Dean looked down at me as I spoke. "He threw me off a bridge and…I drowned." I swallowed, that last word was so quiet I'm surprised Dean heard it.

"You know who it was?"

I shook my head. "No, I had a feeling I knew him…but," I shrugged. "No idea."

Dean swallowed and stole a piece of Sam's bacon. "You know this isn't the last serving of bacon that they have." Sam commented dryly. "You can order your own breakfast."

Dean smiled at him. "I know…food always seems to taste better coming off of other people's plates."

I smirked softly and snagged my plate back from him. I could tell he was pouting at me but I refused to look and ate some of my pancakes.

"Did you recognize the bridge?" He asked me next as he looked for the waitress.

I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the bridge and what it looked like. I shook my head as Dean snagged the waitress and ordered some bacon, sausage and eggs with some toast. "No, it just looked like…any other bridge. I mean there was nothing that made it stick out."

Dean sighed and stroked my hair. "Well, we'll figure out. Meanwhile, I picked up a newspaper and look here." He took it out of his jacket and opened the folded paper to face Sam.

Sam scrunched his eyebrows as he looked at the paper, like he was scrutinizing it. "Cicero, Indiana…Guy falls on his own power saw." Sam looked up at Dean. "That's it? One power saw?"

I shrugged softly and looked at the paper. "Maybe…it's a haunting or some type of curse?"

"Or he was a drunk guy who wandered into his work place and fell on a power saw."

"Yeah, but how often do we run into cases and it's just a 'drunk guy'?" Dean asked, rolling his eyes and sipping my coffee again.

The waitress set down Dean's breakfast, gave him a smile and walked back to the kitchen. I sighed softly and ate a piece of toast off his plate. "So we can at least check this out."

Sam looked at Dean for a long moment…and I could tell Dean was avoiding his eyes, picking at his food and sipping his coffee. Well, _my_ coffee.

Sam scoffed. "I think Dean wants to check this out for a completely different non-supernatural reason."

I looked up at Dean and then Sam, frowning. "What? Why? Is this about my random water control guy and the bridge?"

Sam shook his head, not even looking at me. "Actually it has nothing to do with you, Andy."

"Shut up, Sam." He shot, quick and suddenly angry. I frowned again, what was going on?

"Wait…I don't understand. What are you…?"

"Two words…Lisa Braeden." Sam said, he sounded smug. Like he was eleven and had just tattled on his brother for staying out late at night with a girl.

I swallowed and felt my heart fall into the pit of my stomach. "Lisa Braeden? Who's that?"

I felt like I was eighth grade again…or well, one of the eighth grade classes out of the many I had been in over the stretch of road trips with John and the brothers. The one eighth grade class I was in, I fell head over heels for this boy in my English class, Tommy Alelect. Well, according to him, he had liked me too. So we had this little fling for the period of time we were in that state and in that school. Until…I found out he was cheating on me. And she was gorgeous, the girl everyone aspired to be and who every guy wanted to date. I remembered walking back to the motel in full sobs and I remembered how angry Sam and Dean were when they heard what Tommy had done. I'm pretty sure Dean had left that night…going to find Tommy and beat the crap out of him. Maybe that's why he hadn't shown up to school the next day.

Regardless, I felt like I did that day…when I discovered Tommy had cheated on me. I felt like stupid that I was missing something that was going on when it was so obvious. I felt ashamed. Had Dean really wanted to take this case to meet up with a girl? Was that…what this was about? That…_hurt_. A lot.

"Andy? Did you hear me?" I looked up at Dean as tears filled my eyes. His face softened. "Aw sweetheart, she's just…she's a friend. I just wanted to meet up with her, say hello for old time's sake."

I scoffed. "You don't have girls who are friends, Dean. Old time's sake only means one thing with you."

Dean's eyebrows rose. "You think…you think I'm going to have _sex_ with her?"

I bit my tongue so hard I think I tasted blood. Was he as angry as I was? "Please, Dean. What else were you thinking about when you saw that the case was in Indiana?"

His eyes bore into mine and I felt my anger dissipate as I saw how much I had hurt him by saying that. I was instantly sorry. God what was wrong with me? This wasn't two years ago when we first started dating and I actually had to worry that he would come across some other girl and drop me like an old, hole-filled shirt. This was now, closer then ever. Dean had never even spoke about another girl before…we had a baby for Christ's sake! How could I ever say that? I swallowed and felt my mouth turn downward, frowning.

"Dean…" I said softly and that's all it took for him to get up and head towards the door.

Dean left the diner without even looking back at me.

O0o0o0o0o

I literally ran after him…like I seriously bolted from the table and ran outside, following him before he could get in the car and drive away. To the motel, to a bar…fuck to Lisa's house. I couldn't let him get anywhere.

"Dean!"

He didn't stop, he just kept walking and okay, I really deserved that. I deserved being ignored. He got into the car and I went to run in front of the hood when I tripped over the curb.

"Fuck!" I managed to twist my ankle and went down between the curb and the Impala. I guess I deserved this too. I ended up scratching up my two forearms pretty bad, seeing as how I used them as a landing pad.

I heard Dean sigh and get out of the car, rounding to the front. He crouched as I looked up at him. "You know, if it wasn't for your clumsiness and my inability to not care about you…I would have driven away by now."

I swallowed and tears gathered in my eyes, I think it was a combination of my ripped skin, throbbing ankle and just the utter sadness and guilt I had for what I said to him.

"I know." I said softly.

He sighed and gripped my shoulders and helped me up, supporting my weight as my ankle buckled beneath me. He craned his neck to look at my ankle. "Here, lemme see."

I raised my eyebrows and sniffled through the tears. "You want me to raise my ankle all the way up?"

He couldn't fight a small smile over his lips, but it went away as soon as it appeared. "No…I don't expect you to be a gymnast. Sit." He ushered me to the open driver seat and sat me down and crouched again to be eyelevel with my knees. He gently lifted my ankle and I swore, wincing as his thumb ran over a sensitive part.

"Sorry." He said softly, though I couldn't honestly care if he wasn't. I deserved that if he would have done it on purpose.

I swallowed. "I'm the one who should be sorry." My voice cracked but Dean didn't even look up at me.

"You're ankles fine, just a twist. I don't…see any sprain or anything. Can you stand on it?"

Dean had never done that before…blatantly ignored me when I was apologizing. It was a new feeling…and it took a sour hold on my stomach. I suddenly felt like I should panic. What if he was so angry he took it out on me by going to Lisa? God, what was wrong with me? He wouldn't do that to Riley, I was one thing…our baby was another. Why did I suddenly doubt everything I had with him?

I stood and leaned onto my sore ankle. I was hoping it would give out under my weight…so I could just crash into him. I wanted his arms around me and I got my wish. It buckled under the pressure and I was against Dean's chest in an instant. I stayed there for a while, neither of us moving. I decided I wasn't going to let him push me away.

"I'm awful!" I said suddenly, hooking my arms around him. He stood still and I felt his lips move. He was licking his lips. "Please…answer me." I whispered.

He swallowed. "Yeah, you are awful. Happy?"

I shook my head. "No…"

He sighed and looked down at me and frowned. "Your arms are bleeding."

I shook my head again, this time a little more forceful. "I don't care."

Dean scoffed. "Yeah, well I kinda do. You're getting it all over my shirt." He pulled me back and I felt my arms stick to the fabric a little. Like peeling a band aid off raw skin.

I swallowed and looked up at his face. Would tears work? Because they were coming anyways. "I'm sorry." And there they went, plopping down my face and hitting his blood stained shirt.

He sighed softly and cupped my face. His thumb trailed under my right eye. He looked like he was about to say something…but then stopped and said something else. "Lemme get the first aid kit." He left me and went to the trunk. I slumped back into car and leaned my head against the seat, closing my eyes.

What was wrong with me? My number one rule of rules that I had made when Dean told me that he was going to hell. Well, more like the second rule, the first one was try not to cry so much and I was failing so fucking hard at that. What could I say? I was an emotionalist. And seeing Dean burn in hell in the back of my mind tended to get strong emotions outta me. My second rule was…don't pick a fight with him. The last thing he needed was a fight with his girlfriend. And the last thing I needed was anger and tension between us. We only had so much time left…and I didn't want to spend it being angry at each other. But I had really hurt him on this one…maybe that's why he wasn't so quick to let this one go.

I sniffled and felt him lift up one of my arms. "Man when you trip, you go all out." I opened my eyes to see him wince as he looked at the other cuts on my other arm. He set the kit down on the pavement and started cleaning the wounds.

I didn't even flinch when he put the antiseptic on my cuts. I just kept looking at him, waiting for him to give me some eye contact…but he never did. So I took my arms out of his hands and cupped his face with both of my palms and forced his face to look at mine.

His eyes reached mine and I kissed him gently. "I'm so, so, _sorry_."

He licked his lips and took my hands off his face. "Andy, let me just…get this straight, okay?" I nodded once and felt like I was losing him. "I have never felt like this, about one person, in my whole life." I swallowed, not sure if I was following. So I just kept listening. He squeezed my hands. "You are the only one I will _ever_ want to have sex with." He smiled gently and kissed the side of my mouth. "Understand?"

I smiled and blushed, nodding. He licked his lower lip and smiled that crooked grin that always made my stomach tie into knots. He leaned up and kissed me deeply, his hands curling into my hair. I didn't deserve this either. I had made him angry, upset, I had cut him deep and even though he forgave me I could tell that cut still burned a little within. I had hurt him so badly and here he was reassuring _me_. I didn't deserve him.

I pushed myself closer and rubbed the back of his neck and smiled against his lips. "Want to…make sure I understand?" I asked, spreading my legs so he slid between them.

He chuckled, very sexily I might add. "Of course…I lead best by example."

I laughed as he picked me up and pushed me all the way into the car and closed the door.

O0o0o0o0o

After dropping Sam off at the motel I went with Dean to Lisa's house. I insisted that I didn't need to go with him, that I sincerely trusted him. And I did. But he was insisting that I go, he said he wanted me there. Needed me there. So either he was trying to prove a point or he didn't trust himself to be around her by himself. I was definitely going with the first option.

"Dean, you don't have to prove anything to me." I said softly, playing with my shirt as he parked the car across the street from Lisa's house.

"You've said that…how many times?" He looked at me and smirked.

I smiled sheepishly. "Five."

He smiled back and took my hand, kissing the knuckles. "I want you here with me. Not to prove a point or to…" He shrugs. "Keep me well behaved." How was he reading my mind like that? "I want you here because I can't stand to be away from you." I smiled softly and leaned over to kiss his cheek, I let my lips linger and he smiled leaning down to kiss my nose. "Okay?"

I nodded. "Okay." I kissed his lips once and got out of the car with him. We walked to the door, hands held and Dean sighed, knocking. The door opened and a gorgeous brunette smiled at Dean when she saw him.

"So…" I said softly. "This must be Lisa."

o0o0o0o00o0

i hope everyone liked it :) review please!


	5. Chapter 5: The Kids are Alright Part 2

Chapter 5: The Kids are Alright Part 2

_The door opened and a gorgeous brunette smiled at Dean when she saw him._

"_So…" I said softly. "This must be Lisa." _

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Lisa looked at me confused, well I mean; alright I guess I deserved that. She had no idea who I was. But she had to know Dean. I couldn't imagine anyone forgetting someone like him after you met him…or well, had sex with him. I looked down at my shoes for a moment; I didn't even want to think of how many girls before me still thought about Dean and their one night stands with him. Though Dean rarely gave the girls his real name. It was really crawling under my skin, that Lisa knew his name…felt his skin and lips over her body. Had sex with him. Had shared intimate moments with him that were rightfully mine. Even though it was way before Dean had ever thought about being with me…it still hurt to think about.

"Andy?"

I looked up at Dean and at the empty doorway. I must have missed pleasantries while daydreaming and I guess Lisa had invited us in.

I walked inside the door, Dean closing it behind me, and followed Lisa to her kitchen. It was a nice model, looked like it had recently been redone. It had a high ceiling, and a blue tiled floor. The tile on the cabinets, counter tops and the island table had the same blue tile but in smaller squares. She looked like she had been cooking in there for a while, accounting for the slight mess of pots, pans and cans of various items. It smelled like spaghetti and meatballs and heat was radiating from the oven. I peeked over the island and saw cupcakes baking inside. I swallowed. I guess Dean had liked her for more than just sex. After all, there was no better way to Dean's heart then through his stomach.

"Andy?" I looked at Dean. "Lisa asked you if you wanted anything to drink."

"Oh," I looked at her and she looked away from Dean and then to me. "No, thank you."

Fuck. That was twice already. Lisa was gonna start thinking that Dean was dating some type of damn invalid. She nodded and handed Dean the beer he had obviously requested.

I looked past Dean, out the screen sliding doors, to a party going on outside. It appeared to be a little kid's birthday party from the amount of balloons, streamers, and the huge moon bounce in the middle of the back yard. I guess that's she had been cooking for. I moved closer to get a better look. I smiled at some little girls running around, Riley would be that age soon, running around and playing outside with Sammy. I breathed in. And not Dean. I needed to stop thinking about it or Lisa would think Dean was dating a _crying_ invalid.

"Do you have any kids?"

I turned to look at Lisa. I'm guessing she was asking because she had one too, and that was who the party was for.

"Yeah, I had a little girl a couple months ago." I smiled.

"Her name's Riley." Dean said, rather proudly, smiling all the way.

I smiled softly. Lisa took the pasta from the stove and drained it. "You had her a few months ago? Damn, sure doesn't look it!"

I blushed and Dean chuckled, taking a sip of his beer. "I worked out like crazy." I told her, but "working out" had nothing to do with jogging or weights.

Other than the typical sit ups Dean and I did before bed, Dean and Sam turned the parking lot or back woods behind the motel we were staying at into a "crash course" that I went through a few times at night. It included jumps, sprinting, ducking, poising and aiming a gun at a target. God, I felt like I was ten years old when I ran through the motions. Ten years old with Sergeant John screaming at me and the brothers to go faster and hit the target.

Dean came up beside me and kissed my head. I smiled softly and then looked at Lisa.

"How old is yours?"

"Ben? He's eight, going on nine years now." She smiled and pushed her hair behind her shoulders. I felt a small pang of jealously grip my stomach, she was pretty.

I felt Dean turn his head to look outside. "Can we help with anything?" He looked back at her.

Her eyes met his and I could tell right then and there that she wanted Dean to help her with a few other things other than the damn food.

She shook her head. "Oh, no, go outside and enjoy some of the party."

I bit my tongue on my response but then said it anyways. "Oh, yeah, can't wait to enjoy the moon bounce."

Dean smiled slowly. "Just don't crush any of the kids."

I scoffed and elbowed him, he laughed. "Shut up."

I watched Ben open presents outside and I smiled as he lit up from opening a present. He held up a CD and grinned at the other kids. "Yeah! AC/DC rules!"

I smirked softly. "Right on, kid."

Dean handed me the beer and I took a sip as he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. He rested his chin on my shoulder.

He kissed right under my right ear. "You excited to see Riley that age? Running around and playing…laughing."

I swallowed and could hear the sadness in his voice. "No."

He pulled back a little and turned me to look at him. "You're…not excited?" He smiled. "Afraid she's gonna take after her dad a little bit too much and not come in for bath time?"

I glared at him. "No. Dean." He frowned softly and I slid the glass door aside and went outside onto the grass patio.

I closed the door behind me and went to the table with a cake on it. It was chocolate and had half a birthday greeting on it for Ben. Half of the cake was already cut up into pieces for people to take. I looked at one and sighed. I wanted it…and yet I was sick to my stomach thinking about next summer…or next winter. Or three years from now…or eight. I never wanted to move forward. If the trickster or any other demon cursed me to live in this day forever. I don't think I'd mind. Sam, Dean and I were okay. Dean was alive and then would always be alive. Sure, none of us would age, and things would never change. Our lives would be unmoving; some things would never be seen. But…I'd be happy, curling in bed with Dean and Riley every night. It was selfish and it…was sad. Sad as in pathetic. But I didn't care. This life had a knack for taking things that I loved away from me. And I just…I didn't want to lose him. Was that so awful? But stopping this thing from happening was like trying to pull pieces of cancer from a terminal patient with your own hands. It was a hopeless task.

I jumped as I felt a hand on my lower back. "I get you're trying to get the best piece of cake babe, but they all look to be the same size."

I sighed softly as I looked at him and handed him a piece that was more icing then actual cake. "Same size huh?"

He shrugged and dipped his finger in the icing and slid it across the tip of my nose and smirked. "Close enough."

I couldn't help but smile. "Wipe it off!"

He chuckled and leaned in close. He whispered in my ear, causing me to shiver. "With my tongue?"

I smile softly and leaned back and kissed him softly. "Lips will do."

Dean licked his lips and kissed my nose, taking the icing off. He smirked. "Good as new."

"Did you hear Lisa call him "Dean"?" I swallowed and looked up at him as I heard a woman say that a few inches away from the table in a lawn chair. He shrugged and glanced in the general direction of her.

The other woman next to her spoke next. "Yeah. Why?"

The lady giggled, it sounded like a cat moaning. "You don't know about Dean? _The_ Dean. Best-night-of-my-life Dean?" I scoffed softly and looked at Dean. "Oh, my god, so, they had this crazy, semi-illegal…"

Dean cleared his throat a little loudly before the lady could continue…thank God. Because otherwise someone was getting strangled…and I think Dean was afraid I was going to take it out on him other than this lady or Lisa.

I just looked at Dean as the ladies ogled him. "Semi-illegal?" I asked skeptically and Dean smirked, very uncomfortable.

"Uh…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "It was…nothing?"

"Oh right. Nothing…just illegal." I replied nonchalantly, just like he was pretending it was. God, I didn't want to deal with this right now. Not with an ex, not when…when I should have been spending my time focusing on us. And our fucking _legal_ sex.

I started walking towards the back gate to leave and Dean hurried after me, taking my arm. "Hey, wait, come on."

I sighed and turned to look at him. "So you were the best night of her life?" I don't know why I was being such a hard ass with him. Their relationship…or whatever it was, was such a long time ago. He had grown…well maybe not all in the maturity level but he was a father now.

He swallowed. "Yeah, I guess so." I knew he said that because of the information given by those "live-on-gossip" women…at least he wasn't being cocky.

"Yeah. And what was yours?"

He looked at me a moment. "You are…really going to ask me that?"

"Just humor me."

Dean looked down at my chest and took the protective charm in his hand, the one he had given me for my birthday…two years ago. It felt longer than that. He closed his hand around it and then kissed me softly, my upper and lower lip first. Then he cupped my cheek and kissed my mouth at once. I think I was starting to get the point as I remembered that night…after the bar and birthday presents…

_He pulled a small box from his pajama pockets and handed it to me. "It's for me?" I asked._

_He nodded and smiled sheepishly. "I wanted to give it to you at the bar but um…I don't know it was just…"_

"_It's a Tibetan coin. It was crafted along the 1800s. It's a protection amulet. I want you to wear it, so I know you'll always be safe." He said softly and I nodded._

_He gave me a soft kiss on the lips and turned to head back to his chair. It took me a moment before I realized I was basically standing there with my mouth open and I shut off the light and crawled into bed. I feel asleep clutching the coin in my hand._

He clutched the coin in his hand as he kissed me, like I had done that night as I fell asleep.

Softly against my lips, "You remember?"

I smiled softly. "Of course I do."

He swallowed. "Will you remember years from now…when I'm gone?"

The smile was gone from my face. "Always."

He nodded and licked his lips; I felt the wetness on mine as his lips gently grazed mine again. "That…was the best night of my life. You know why?"

I swallowed. "Because the bar was serving free drinks after three?"

He chuckled and I smiled in turn. His laugh was so god damn infectious. "No…because," He stroked the coin with his thumb. "I knew I had you…and that no one else would."

I breathed in and smiled softly. I took his hand and squeezed gently. He was right. No one else would but him.

O0o0o0o0o

"So, it's your birthday." Dean looked at Lisa's boy, Ben, as he ate a piece of cake. I smiled as I sat in the chair next to Dean, watching the kid's play.

"Guilty." Ben smiled as he looked up at him.

Dean smiled back and threw his empty plate away. "It's a cool party." I felt like commenting on the fact that Dean could probably have a great time at a simple party like this with cake and a moon bounce. It didn't really take a lot to satisfy him.

"Dude, it's so freakin' sweet. And this moon bounce --it's epic!" He smirked and threw his plate away.

I smiled as Dean looked slightly weirded out by this kid's enthusiasm. "Yeah, it's pretty awesome." I agreed

Ben grinned at me, because I obviously understood the epic-ness of it. He went over and elbowed Dean a little, like a best friend would do to another when fooling around. "See? Chicks think they're awesome! It's like hot-chick city out there."

I laughed. Wow…wasn't he just a little miniature Dean Winchester. Ben walked over to me and raised his eyebrows. He was trying to be all grown up, flirting with a girl and taking her with his boyish charms. Unfortunately he was still so little for that to work, so it just ended up being adorable. But I didn't let that on, didn't want to ruin the kid's birthday.

"You…interested in checking out the moon bounce later on?"

I smiled at Ben. "I'd love to!"

He grinned. "I'll let you know when I'm ready for you to experience the epic-ness." He ran off after that, approaching the moon bounce with an enthusiastic, "Look out ladies!". I just shook my head. This wasn't a replica of Dean; I could swear this kid was Dean when he was little.

I looked at Dean and he was staring at Ben like he had just sprout feet from his head. "Dean…you okay? You look like you're doing a really hard math problem in your head. I told you that's dangerous for you…math and you aren't exactly best of friends."

"Huh?" He looked at me and swallowed. "I'll uhm…be right back." I frowned as he walked off toward the sliding glass door and went into the kitchen. I sighed and got up, going to the cake table for one last piece of cake. Hey, I say, when there's free cake…you at least indulge yourself two pieces. Especially if it's chocolate.

"Excuse me," I turned around and looked at the person who wanted my attention…and froze. I tried to concentrate on my mouth from not falling open.

He was the guy from my dream. He had the same incredibly smooth voice and his hair became tussled as the wind picked up speed for a moment. His eyes bore into me, they were a gorgeous green color; the color of pines or leaves after a hard rain. Fuck, fuck, _fuck_. Why wasn't Dean back yet?

He smiled, the same chilling smile I recognized from the bridge. It wasn't chilling as in creepy or scary but more as it was so attractive that it made your spine quiver against its will.

"I swear I know you from somewhere."

I shook my head, just wanting to find Dean. There was no way he knew me…unless…unless he had visions too to go along with his hydro thing. But seriously what were the possibilities of that? Although, if anything, I was taught never to doubt the possibilities. They bit you in the ass most of the time when you least expect it.

The good thing was, I wouldn't be thrown over a bride at this certain time. For one, no bridge or body of water and two, a lot of people, he wouldn't want to cause a scene right?

"No," I finally said. "I don't think I know you."

I went to get past him bit he stepped in front of me. "No…" He chuckled. "I swear…" He drifted off and a second later the connection dawned on him. "River Lakes High School, Connecticut, Senior Year. You sat behind me in Ms. Grafer's Spanish class. Andy right?"

I raised my eyebrows. Fucking Christ. Out of all the cities and high schools, I guess someone had to recognize me right? "Wow…mind like an elephant." I was really angry at myself that I had used my real name. I felt like this creep had been trying to find me for a long time or something.

He smiled softly. "Well, it's hard to forget a pretty girl like you."

I tried not to blush. Damn my inability to react to compliments with blush. I wasn't happy over the compliment but kind of embarrassed I guess. Did he really remember me because I was pretty…I doubt it. It was a pick up line of I ever heard one, and I heard a lot of them in my time. Dean being the King of pick up lines and all. So why was I embarrassed? I internally rolled my eyes at myself, it just caught me off guard, that's all.

"Um, right well. Unfortunately I don't remember your name. Sorry." It had been a lot of cities, a lot of high schools and a lot of Spanish classes that year.

He seemed disappointed, but not for more than a minute. He reached out his hand and took mine, "David Ackson."

I shook gingerly. "Nice to meet you again." I swallowed and pulled my hand back.

David ran a hand through his hair. "So, how do you know Lisa?"

"She's an old friend of my boyfriend." Who, thank God, was just coming out the sliding glass door and looking for me. When he spotted me he came right over.

"Boyfriend huh?" David asked, sipping from his red cup.

"Yeah, boyfriend." Dean said, slipping his arm around my waist. David looked so uncomfortable it was almost painful to watch.

But then he smiled calm and collected, like he was thinking this was just another obstacle he could work around, and that creeped me out more than him hitting on me.

He stuck his hand out. "David, Andy and I go back a while."

Dean made a clicking noise from his tongue hitting the roof of his mouth. He looked at David's hand and then at his face. "Oh really?"

David wasn't fazed, he simple pulled his hand back and stuck it in his pocket. I think he had a feeling Dean was going to stay in this protective mood. "Yeah, since high school."

I could tell Dean was entertained with our own private joke. We'd been to so many high schools between Sam, Dean and I that the question of which one was hanging on Dean's lips.

"River Lakes High School." I finally said.

"_Oh. _That school." Dean rolled his eyes. I didn't really remember Dean's opinion on the schools we went to, I mostly hung around with Sam through the classes. Though I did know Dean certainly loved the cheerleaders no matter where we went.

"Yeah…were you confusing it with another one?" David asked sarcastically. Because he couldn't imagine that we could get high schools confused. He must have thought we had been there since freshmen year, since we had been seniors there when we went.

Dean licked his lips and bit back on any nasty, sarcastic comments. "No. I was just making sure I had the right one. So you were friends with Andy? Funny…she never mentioned you. At all."

"And how would you know…you're not her brother."

"No," Dean continued. "But she was friends with my brother all through school. So believe me, if she would have mentioned you…I would have heard." Dean smiled softly, not smug, it didn't need to be. The words were smug enough.

And even though Dean wasn't my brother, the fact that he sometimes heard about my friends or crushes was partly true. I usually told Sam everything, we were best friends. He told me his crushes, and I told him mine. Sometimes Dean would overhear or Sam would tell him when he was worried…well, over protective. I swear those two were like two dads whenever I liked a boy and surprise, they liked me back.

I swallowed and looked up at David. He looked…angry. Dean's arm tightened around my waist and then out of nowhere Dean jumped back, swearing quietly. I looked at him and his front was soaked in water.

"Where the f—"

"Dean! Children!" I hushed quietly.

He just looked at me and in that one look I could tell he really couldn't give a shit about his language at the moment. I frowned and grabbed a few napkins from the table and noticed a sprinkler behind it on the grass, gently watering the flowers. Had David…no, in public? I turned and handed them to Dean who opened up his navy blue jacket a little and started brushing off his blue shirt with the napkins. Halfway through a stroke he stopped and sighed, aggravated.

"This is useless, I'm soaked."

I nodded softly. "We'll go…just go to the car and I'll meet you there."

He raised his eyebrows and stole a look at David, who was casually standing next to me, nursing his cup of juice. I nodded softly at Dean, I'd be okay. He sighed softly and cursed under his breath. Something that sounded like, "where the fuck did that water come from?". I watched him leave through the glass doors and say goodbye to Lisa.

I turned to look at David and he shrugged. "Damn sprinklers huh? Things can be so unpredictable sometimes…I remember I had to buy at least four because the damn things kept…"

I shook my head, interrupting him. "Did you do that?"

He licked his lips and looked very confused. "Do…what?"

"You know…the water thing. Did you do it?"

His mouth said no, his eyes told me everything. "I'm not sure I know what you mean, Andy." He didn't say that like he was questioning me, it was a very hard statement and his eyes were stern. His voice was commanding like he wanted me to believe, whether I did or not, that I had he had no idea what I meant.

I just nodded and turned to leave when he grabbed my arm. It didn't hurt but his hand was cold and wet…like he had actually touched the water that was splashed on Dean. "Wait…"

I swallowed at shook his hand off. "For what?" David looked around for a moment and sighed. "Look David, Dean's waiting for me and he's not in the best mood right now, if you hadn't noticed, so if I don't come outside soon he's gonna come right back here…"

He looked irritated. "Alright, alright, just…" I almost shook him and said "spit it out for Christ's sake!". "Can I call you? I don't…want to talk about it here."

I just nodded softly. Fine, it's not what I wanted but…if I could change my dream and stop him from hurting people, I'd do whatever. "Fine." I took a napkin from the table and he handed me a pen, I scribbled down my number and handed it to him.

He looked at it and then back at me.

"I have to go." I told him. "Call me."

David nodded and I had no doubt that he wouldn't. "I will." He smiled softly.

I turned and went inside, saying my goodbyes to Lisa. I walked towards the car and swallowed. He looked relieved, like he could finally talk to someone about this burden he had. I just wanted to help. Him and the other people that he could drown…for one reason or another. I just couldn't get what could snap in his mind and make him attack them. It hadn't happened yet…at least. Maybe I could save him.

Dean looked up at me, all pissy. I got in the car. "What?"

He pouted then. "I'm all wet and uncomfortable. I feel like I've been at an amusement park in 90 degree weather in jeans all day."

I snorted. "Right, because you really know what _that_ feels like." He glared at me and I smiled, kissing his nose. "Sorry."

"So David did it right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, he's from my dream." I looked down at my hands. "I can't believe he remembered me."

"I'm not surprised. Creep probably has a collage of your high school pictures on his wall."

I rolled my eyes. "There are no pictures of me anywhere. We didn't stay long enough."

Dean started the car. "It's a joke, relax." He ruffled my hair and I smiled as I fixed it.

"I wasn't freaking out." I breathed as I leaned back in the seat. "I gave him my number."

He raised his eyebrows as he pulled out and started driving to the motel. "You gave the freak who threw you off a bridge…"

"He didn't do that yet, Dean!"

Dean scoffed. "I'm sorry, who _is going_ to throw you off a bridge your direct number to get in touch with you?"

"He's not going to throw me off a bridge. I'm going to change it so he won't."

Dean rubbed his forehead. "Andy, you can't….you can't stop him. Can't save him." I looked out the window. "He's not another Jason."

"That's not fair." I said softly and swallowed.

The car turned left and he sighed softly, not annoyed or frustrated, just a regular sigh. "Hey," He parked in the hotel parking lot. "Hey, pretty girl, look at me."

I licked my lips and turned to look at him. His hair was slightly wet in the front and his shirt was sticking to his chest. His skin shined softly against the sun coming through the windshield and cinnamon was flowing off his skin like a car air freshener. He took my hand and laced his fingers through mine.

"We're gonna help him as best we can…and we're going to do it together. And if he doesn't listen to reason…we can't just let him go if we know he's going to hurt people." I looked into his eyes. "You understand." It wasn't a question.

I just nodded softly. "I understand."

He stroked the side of my face, his hand was warm and soft. He kissed my cheek. "Come on, let's get inside. I have to get these clothes off."

I smiled softly and nodded as he got out of the car. Dean just…didn't understand. I had to help David. I couldn't just let him become another Jason. I don't think I could handle that on my conscience.

O0o0o0o0o0o0

"What happened to you? Lose a fight with a sprinkler?" Sam asked as Dean walked in the room.

Dean rolled his eyes and just mocked him as he walked to the bed. I smirked and looked at Sam. "Something like that." I closed the door and Sam raised his eyebrows. I sat on the bed, slipping my jacket off. "Find anything worth our time?"

"Actually I did. I think we have two cases to work on."

"Really?" Dean took his damp jacket off and slipped it on a chair to dry out. He peeled off the undershirt and threw it in the general direction of the laundry pile. I smiled softly as I looked over his tone body. He saw me look and smirked. "You checking me out Core?"

I smiled and blushed a dark color. "Maybe." I winked playfully at him.

Sam cleared his throat before the conversation grew into something that made him uncomfortable. "Both cases are about here."

"Just makes you wonder what kind of place Cicero, Indiana is." I smirked and laid back on the bed.

Sam shrugged lightly as I turned my head to look at him. "Not a great place as of now. Know that one freak accident we read about in the paper? There's four more that never even made the paper, all in this Morning Hill gated community. People falling off of ladders and drowning in their jacuzzis all over the neighborhood."

"Yeah, Lisa mentioned this town had had some bad luck before I left." Dean laid down next to me and raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, that's weird. Something's up. Something these nice, big gates can't protect them from."

I sighed and nodded and looked at Dean, I smiled at him and kissed his shoulder. He smirked and shook his head. "No turning me on that easily, Core" He winked and I rolled my eyes.

Sam swallowed. "I'm sitting right here talking about people falling off ladders and appliances killing them…and you're turned on?" I rolled my eyes and threw a pillow at him. "Hey!

"Next case!"

"Alright, alright," He clicked something on his computer and then got a newspaper clipping. "So we got four drawings." I froze and looked at Sam. "All women and then this is the weird part, all died in their beds…drowned from the inside." My heart fell, incredibly fast, felt like it fell from my chest to my feet. It was too late. "But there was no water found at the scene, not even a cup by their beds."

I closed my eyes and felt Dean's arm sneak around my shoulders and turn me. I rested on his chest and rubbed my nose against his skin. "It's David," I said softly. "It has to be him."

Sam's voice sounded like he was frowning. "David?"

Dean ran a hand through my hair. "Yeah, guy from her dream."

"Oh…you met him today?"

He nodded. "And guess what? He can actually control water."

"How?"

I swallowed. "Well we kind of know how. Hydrokinesis, I don't know how or when he got it. But that's how he's doing it. Killing people."

I could tell they were doing that thing, looking at each other with semi-worried faces. I just let them do it, refusing to comment this time. I just focused on Dean's warm skin against my cheek.

"But why the girls and why four of them?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe he intends to kill more and there's really no relevance to the number."

"Yeah," Sam said. "I guess you could be right. But them being all female has to mean something. "And doesn't he have to have a source of water somehow? Like Dean and the sprinkler? There was no water at the crime scenes."

"I'm still pissed about him getting my shirt wet."

I rolled my eyes and smirked softly at him. "Why...you looked kinda sexy with your clothes all wet." I looked up at him and winked softly.

He smiled slowly. "Didn't know you were into the wet t-shirt look."

I shook my head and smiled and he traced my lips with his thumb for a moment. "So we have no idea what's going on in either case." I nodded softly and looked at both of the boys. "Perfect." I breathed in softly and kissed his chest.

"We'll figure it out." Dean sighed. "I need a shower." He sat up with me in his arms and kissed my head. "Want one together?"

I smiled softly. "No need to ask. I'll be there in a moment, I need to gather some clothes for the laundry and then get some to change into."

He smiled and nodded, he got up and took a new t-shirt and some jeans, with a red checkered shirt into the bathroom with him. I rubbed my face and collected the clothes on the floor.

"It's funny how I tried to get a week-to-week rotation with you two chuckleheads and I'm almost always the one who collects the clothes for a wash." I looked up at Sam and he smiled, kneeling down to help me.

"Hey, I actually did it last week."

I smirked. "You're so commendable!"

He bumped shoulders with me and pushed the clothes into my arms. He grabbed a tot bag from the closet and helped me put the clothes into it. "Thank you." I breathed in and smiled at him.

He smiled back but it was tentative. "Andy, I need to talk to you about something…"

I nodded. "Sure, anything." I put the bag down and picked up another pair of jeans and a long sleeved tee. I set it on the bed.

"You remember when we had that case on the sins?" I nodded softly. "And you remember…that girl who swooped in…saved us?"

I swallowed a little. "Yeah, I remember." I remember how much I hated her, for no apparent reason and didn't trust her at all from the moment I saw her. "What about her?"

"Well I was at the diner today and she had…followed me there. She….she told me she was…a demon. That knife she had…"

I raised my eyebrows. "You have a demon stalker?" Which was…just the understatement of all this. A demon…fuck we had been saved by a demon? She must have wanted some time of payment for that? What kind of demon took out her own?

He swallowed. "I don't think that's exactly how she intended it to look…"

"Oh, so now you're making excuses for the demon trailing your tail all over the continental U.S?"

I looked at him and he looked agitated, and for a moment I knew he regretted telling me but I honestly didn't know what kind of reaction he wanted me to have. What did he want me to be happy? Excited? Freaked out? I was annoyed and I was protective. Demons were demons…there was no such thing as a good demon or a demon having some sort of heart, no matter what that witch show _Charmed_ try to tell you.

"Look…I'm telling you because…"

I scoffed softly. "I _know_ why you're telling me Sam. Because you wouldn't dare tell Dean." He swallowed. "Because it'd be like telling your father and he'd tear you a new one for being so reckless."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, Andy, just…she knew about us."

"Us?" I asked.

"About our yellow eyed thing, our psychic powers…about that son of a bitch putting us in that wasteland to fight to the death."

Alright, I admitted, my interests were peaked. "How did she know about that?"

He sighed and shrugged. "Shit if I know. She was being cryptic and…sarcastic."

I looked at the bathroom door, I had to get in there soon or Dean was going to think something's up. "Why are you telling me this?" Other then the fact that you didn't want to get yelled at by your older brother.

"Because she tried telling me about something else…about our moms."

I looked up at him. "What about my mom?"

Sam swallowed. "That's the thing. Something apparently happened to their friends."

"To their friends? So this bitch is both sarcastic and vague and a stalker? Great personalities you're attracting there, Sam." I said sarcastically, turning to go to the bathroom door.

"Why are you biting my head off about this? I want to do this with you. I want to research about their friends and find out if this demon is reliable or not."

I scoffed, actually getting upset now. "Are you…are you thinking clearly by chance? Or do you not know the definition of 'reliable'?" Sam licked his lips. "Demons cann_ot _be trusted to give you the truth."

"How do you know? Some have been known to give up on their own sides before…" He was stretching his very long limbs on this one. "Who knows…maybe we finally got something here. A demon who wants to help…it's not impossible."

I just shook my head, wanting to shake him until he actually processed what he just said. "Sam…'give up on their own sides'? Really? I wonder if God was thinking the same thing about Lucifer before he just…gave up on his own side. Decided to create a new one…an _evil_ one." He sighed, pursed his lips and shifted on his feet. "Don't go there, Sam. I'm serious…" He looked up at me. "Don't go there."

"Are you going to help me or not?"

I sighed. "I'll help. But we're not talking to this demon again."

Sam bit his lower lip for a moment, thinking. "Okay. Okay, you're right, we won't." He nodded. "You won't tell Dean?"

I rubbed my forehead. "I won't…tell Dean."

I just turned away and went into the bathroom. Fuck. What were we getting ourselves into? Why was I lying to Dean about it? I didn't want to side with him…I didn't but…I had to stick with him, keep him out of trouble and keep him safe. It was him and me on this…because sooner or later…we were gonna be the only ones left. And Sam needed me. Like I would need him one day. Like I would need him every single day after Dean…died.

That's why I was going to lie to him. And help Sam figure out whatever this thing was.

O0o0o0o0o

_Water was in my mouth, pushing its way into the back of my throat. It was ice cold and it tasted like mud. My hands and arms were numb but I could feel the waves pushing their currents against my legs and torso. My head whipped back as I hit something hard, and I felt blood bead my forehead. I reached the surface for a moment, saw a blur of lights of something tall and far away and vaguely heard my name being called. But I didn't even have the energy to scream Dean's name before the current took me back under. _

I gasped as I jerked up in bed, I coughed hard and Dean stirred beside me. I felt like I was choking, I kept coughing and grabbed my chest.

"Andy?" Dean's sleepy voice asked. He moved in bed and the light from the bedside table popped on. "Hunny, just try to breathe." He rubbed my back.

No, he didn't understand. Water was in my windpipes…it was actually felt like it was filling up my lungs. A harder cough wracked my chest and a small puddle of water flew from my mouth and landed on the bed sheets in front of me. I collapsed back against Dean's arm on my back and panted.

"God…" Dean said softly. "That was…"

"Dean? What's going on?" Sam groggily asked, he turned on his own bedside light and squinted at his, his eyes not used to the light yet.

Dean swallowed as I sat up, finally catching my breath a little. "I'm not sure."

I coughed a moment and then looked at Dean as Sam got up and out of his bed and sat next to me. "My freaky ass torturous dreams, that's what happened." My chest ached like I had actually inhaled the water from the river. "I was in the river and I…it felt like I was drowning." I swallowed.

Sam rubbed my leg gently and I lean my head on Dean's shoulder. He had his arm wrapped around my shoulders and he rubbed my arm. "It's okay, you're safe now." He kissed my head.

"How's your chest?" Sam asked and I swallowed.

"Hurts…and I'm freezing." I shivered as the word left my mouth and Sam got up and took one of the sheets off his bed and covered me with it as Dean brought up the others. I swallowed. "Thanks guys."

Dean nodded and Sam sat down back on the bed next to me. "Sure sweetheart."

I swallowed and looked at the time, two in the morning. I sighed softly. "This is going to sound really…" I swallowed and went on softly. "Annoying but can we push the beds together? Put the T.V on? I really don't want to head back to sleep yet."

Sam and Dean smiled at me. "Yeah, it's no problem." Sam said and stood, he walked on the other side of his bed and pushed it till it met Dean and mine. I scooted over into the middle of both beds and packed the pillows up behind me.

Dean kissed my cheek and put the same around me and scooted closer, he curled hair around my ear as Sam searched for the television remote. He turned the T.V on and crawled in bed on the other side of me. I breathed in and looked at the movie playing across the screen. I think it was "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days" because I recognized Matthew Mcconaughey but I couldn't remember the girl's name. Kate…or maybe it was Katie something. Eh, who cares. I really loved watching Mcconaughey act. He was gorgeous and such a good actor.

I snuggled into the sheets and between my boys and enjoyed the movie with this little moment of perfectness in this hectic life of mine.

O0o0o0o0o0o0

I went on an "insurance agent" run with Sam early that morning. We were going to visit one of the man's wives who had fallen off the ladder. Unfortunately, I was hauling ass that morning. I was half asleep as we pulled up to the house and the coffee run was not entering my veins yet. I yawned, maybe the seventh time after we left the motel, and Sam smirked softly.

"So…I take it you're tired?"

I shoved him with my elbow. "Shut up you!" He chuckled. "Yeah, I'm tired, I barely got any sleep."

"Well that's because you wanted to stay up for the Mcconaughey marathon."

I smirked softly. "Well, sure, that's part of it…but…every time I closed my eyes I saw David and the bridge." I swallowed. "Water closing around my mouth…it was awful." I said softly and looked out the window at the house.

I could feel Sam's frown mess up his cute smile he had had on his face not a moment ago and his hand gently touched my arm. "Hey, you want to stay in here, catch some sleep?"

I looked at him. "You're sweet but I'll go with you. I can sleep later, the cases come first."

He shrugged softly. "I know you, you don't get enough sleep you'll get a monster headache and you'll be miserable…not to mention take it out on Dean and I. So hey, I'm not looking out for you here, I'm totally worried about myself." I laughed and he smiled softly. "Sleep, it's okay. I'll fill you in when I get back."

I nodded softly and sighed. "Alright, I'm not going to fight you on this."

He smiled. "Good…cause I'll win." Sam got out of the car and closed the Impala door. I watched him fix his tie and walk to front door and knock.

I smiled and shook my head. I put my head back against the seat and closed my eyes, drifting off immediately.

Oo0o0o0o0

The car jerked a little as Sam got in the car. I stirred a little and turned to face him, not opening my eyes yet. "How long was I out?" That question was more for myself then for Sam. "What did you find out?"

I opened my eyes and gasped, David smiled softly at me. "I found out that not all people lock their car doors."

I turned to get out of the car but he pulled my hair and opened the door. I yelped as I felt my hair tear by the roots a little as he dragged me across the driver's seat and out onto the pavement. I landed on my butt and he lifted me up, keeping my hands behind my back.

"Let go of me!!!!" I couldn't help but gasp in pain, he was really tugging my hair hard and it distracted me from the fact that he had time to get my hands behind my back. He managed to keep them there with one of his hands, he had an incredibly strong grasp.

He harshly pulled me back against his chest and wrapped his arm around my mid-section. I stomped on his foot with my heel, which happened to be a pointed high heel shoe, and he cried and let me go for a moment. I ran forward just as Sam was coming out of the house. I sprinted to him and David didn't try to grab me again.

"Andy?" I reached him as he got to the bottom steps and collided against his chest, holding onto him tightly. "Shh, shh, I got you. Shh."

I breathed shakily for a moment and closed my eyes, feeling safer as I relaxed in Sam's arms, warm vanilla hitting my nose and his strong arms squeezing my frame. "Where'd he go?"

Sam swallowed and we moved closer to the car. He pulled me back from him a little and I leaned against the Impala as he looked down the street. "I don't know. I just saw him take off." He looked at me. "You alright? He hurt you?"

I swallowed. "He just…pulled my hair." I rubbed my scalp. "I'll live."

"Good thing…I don't think Dean would want to date you if you were bald…" I smirked as I looked up at him and he smiled. "Come here."

I leaned up and hugged him again. He kissed my head and held me close for a few moments before we got back into the car and drove to the motel.

O0o0o000oo0o

"Ok, that is the last straw! I am going to hydro his ass!"

Sam frowned as he looked at Dean. "You know that's just water…right?"

Dean swallowed as he sat next to me. "Well then I'll kinesis…his…something.."

I smirked. "Valliant effort, Dean." I stroked his hair gently. "Really, I'm okay, nothing Advil couldn't fix."

He clenched his fists. "That's not the point."

"Really? The point isn't I'm okay?" Dean sighed and looked at me and I kissed his nose.

"Of course that's the point." He said softly and I smiled and kissed him. He pulled me close to him until I was sitting on his lap and kept his arms wrapped tight around me.

"The other point is, I found out what we're dealing with."

"Which is?" I asked.

"What do you know about changelings?"

Dean smirked. "Evil monster babies?"

"No, not necessarily babies…"

Dean looked up at him, realizing. "The kids. Creepy, "stare at you like you're lunch" kids? I was walking back from talking to Lisa and Ben and…let me tell you, those kids were the very definition of creepy."

"Yeah. There's one at every victim's house." Sam pulled out his laptop. "So, changelings can perfectly mimic children. According to lore, they climb in the window, snatch the kid. There were marks on the windowsill at one of the kid's houses. Looked to me like blood."

"Do you think it was?" I asked.

Sam shrugged. "Could have been."

"So the changeling grabs a kid, assumes its form, joins the happy fam just for kicks?" Dean asked, shifting me on his lap to move against the headboard. He took a sheet and gently pulled it over my legs and strokes my hair.

Sam shook his head and sat in front of us, handing us a book. I set it on my lap and winced at the picture of the kid. It's face was…well damn ugly didn't seem to cover it. The skin was greenish purple, two colors that never should have gone together. The eyes were black and kind of sunken into their heads while the mouth turned into a circle when they ate. A circle full of what looked like little shark teeth.

"Not quite. Changelings feed on the mom: synovial fluid," He continued. "The moms have these odd bruises on the back of their necks. Changelings can drain them for a few weeks before mom finally croaks."

"And then there's dad and the babysitter…" Dean commented, looking over my shoulder at the picture. He left a small kiss on my shoulder.

"Yeah. Seems like anyone who gets between the changeling and its food source ends up dead." I swallowed and looked up at Sam. "How do we get rid of them?"

"Much like a Wendigo, we gotta torch them."

"Great." Dean snorted. "We'll just bust in, drag the kids out, and torch them on the front lawn."

I smiled softly. "That will play great with the neighbors. We'll never be invited to another birthday party again!"

Dean chuckled. "We weren't invited to the first one…"

"What about the real ones? What happens to them?" I asked Sam.

"They stash them underground somewhere. I don't know why, but if it's true, the real kids might be out there." He answered as Dean handed the book back to him. He closed it and set it on his laptop.

"We better start looking." I swallowed. "Those kids could be hurt…scared." I frowned. "So, any kid in the neighborhood is vulnerable?" Sam nodded.

"We gotta make a stop. I want to check on someone." He gently picked me up and set me beside him.

I stood and changed out of my skirt and pulled some jeans on along with my boots. "Dean, if the real kids are still alive, we don't have time."

"Well we're going to make time." I frowned as he slipped on his leather jacket. I looked at Sam and he shrugged his shoulders. Who did he possibly want to check up on?

o0o0o0o0o

review please :)


	6. Chapter 6: The Kids are Alright Part 3

Chapter 6: The Kids are Alright Part 3

Oh I really should have known better. I leaned against the backdoor of the Impala as Dean went to Lisa's door and pounded. He really should have been a bit calmer then he was but I could tell he was worried. He still cared about Lisa, in a friendly way, and I'm sure he cared about that little boy she had. Ben was cute, I wasn't going to deny that but if he was fine and wasn't a changeling, we really didn't have time for this. Those kids were in real danger, who knew how long they had been where they were. It wasn't like they were staying at the Hilton Hotel in the nicest room; they were either underground or somewhere cold and dark.

Finally Lisa opened the door and started talking to Dean. I looked at Sam in the passenger, watching Dean. I breathed and looked down the street. I saw some kids playing with a ball on the sidewalk down the way. But when I looked at them, they suddenly stopped and looked back at me. Really creepy like. I decided it was then I needed to get back in the car. I pulled the door open and sat down on the leather, closing the door.

"I'm really glad we gave Riley to Bobby for this case. If one of those things tried to take her…"

"Don't dwell on it." Sam interrupted. "Point is she's safe from these creepy ass things, that's all that matters."

I nodded. "Safe for now really." I swallowed and looked up at the rearview mirror. I watched Sam frown softly; he turned in his seat and looked at me. "She won't be safe when she's back with us Sam."

"Yes she will. We'll let anything happen to her. You know that."

I sighed and I nodded. "I know, I know, I'm just being…"

"A parent?" He smiled at me.

I smiled back. "I was going to say paranoid…but yeah."

Sam smirked. "It's one in the same sometimes." He ruffled my hair and I smirked, fixing it. I looked out the window and saw Lisa slam the door closed in Dean's face. I frowned. I guess convincing Lisa to go to Six Flags with Ben hadn't gone well. Though I told him it wasn't going to be realistic.

I watched Dean walk around the back to the house and then jogged to the Impala, getting in the driver's seat. "They took Ben. He's changed."

I gasped softly. "What? Are you sure?" Poor Ben. I hoped he was okay, scratch that, I _really_ hoped he was okay. If he wasn't…God, poor Lisa. I couldn't even imagine what she'd go through…what Dean would go through from the grief of not being able to help. I shook my head. I had to stop thinking that way; it certainly wasn't going to help anyone.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I checked his windowsill."

"Blood?" Sam asked.

Dean started the engine and pulled away from Lisa's driveway. "I don't think it is blood, and I think I know where the kids are."

Dean sped off down the street and turned left so fast that I slid across the seat. I squealed as I collided with the side of the car. "Geez, Dean, a little warning next time."

He smirked softly and parked outside an unfinished house. "Sorry…maybe you should wear that seatbelt more often."

"Right…because you two are such good role models for that." Sam and Dean glanced at each other, neither of them with seatbelts on and I smirked. "My point exactly."

Dean got out of the car and I followed him. As Sam got out of the car I noticed a red mound of dirt near the front lawn. I dipped two of my fingers in it and pulled them back out, rubbing them together.

I scoffed. "It wasn't blood. It was red dirt on the windows."

Dean nodded and checked out the half built house in front of us. Most of the frame was there and the front with the windows and doors was put together. The only thing that seemed to be missing was the ceiling of the thing; a blue tarp was covering the wood frame.

"Alright, I'll take the front, Sam and you take the back." Dean looked towards me and got a homemade flame bomb out of the trunk. You basically lit the material sticking out of the bottle and the alcohol liquid in the bottom would light up like a Christmas tree.

He handed me one. "Listen to Sam, understand?"

I rolled my eyes. He'd never change. He'd always become my father when a hunt started, when there were other people's lives, like Ben's and the other kids, involved.

"Yes dad, I understand." I wisecracked, handing the flame bomb to Sam. He smirked softly and shook his head.

Dean looked at me and smiled softly. He kissed my cheek and closed the trunk. "Don't wisecrack me…I'll punish you." He winked and Sam groaned.

"Too much information…too much imagery." I giggled and Dean ruffled my hair, pulled me close and kissed me deeply. Sam sighed and I felt him brush past us, heading towards the house. "Hello? You two we have a job to do, people to save…does this stuff mean anything to anyone?"

I smirked softly and pulled back. "Yes, yes, let's go!"

Dean pinched my ass and I jumped as we started to walk towards the house, a full grin on his face. Sam and I shook our heads almost in unison and I started to follow Sam towards the back of the house.

I turned my head as I heard a muffled whimper. I froze as saw a shadow of a man drag a struggling young woman down the street…to a bridge. It couldn't be…the same bridge right? It couldn't have been David. Where had the young girl come from? She wasn't anywhere in my dream. Or maybe I was overreacting. That that man wasn't David and that woman wasn't an innocent about to be drowned or worse.

Regardless of whether or not it was David, the girl was in trouble. The man obviously wasn't helping this young woman out. He was dragging her to the bridge while she whimpered and struggled. I couldn't just ignore this, Sam and Dean could handle the changeling.

I went to tell Sam but he was already in the house when I turned to look at him. I shook my head and turned to run down the street towards the bridge. Dean was going to be pissed Sam let me out of his sight, even though it wasn't really his fault. Dean couldn't blame Sam for me not sticking close to him throughout the hunt. He'd have to give us a break on this one; Dean would just have to get over the fact that I needed to be here. On this bridge. Regardless if my life was being threatened.

I stopped short as I got to the bridge; it was old and creaky as I carefully stepped on the wood. Screw a car driving over it, it didn't seem like it could hold the weight of ten people.

"David!"

The man stopped short and my fears were confirmed. This _was_ the bridge. He turned to look at me, his hand was over the young woman's mouth and her eyes widened as she saw me, pleading for help. She whimpered as David jostled her closer to the edge.

"Whoa, David, stop!" I moved closer and some wood gave out under my right foot. I shifted quickly to avoid my ankle going through the hole. I stood still for a moment to observe the foundation of the bridge. It wasn't falling and breaking apart completely…yet.

As I got closer, I could see that David was visibly upset. Instead of trying to order him, I moved to comforting. "David, what happened? What's…what's wrong?"

He swallowed so thickly that I could almost hear it. "You don't…understand. I can't stop."

I looked at the girl and then David's arm around her waist. It was loosening but I couldn't pull her away yet. I just needed a little more from him.

"What do you mean I can't stop?"

He looked at me and his eyes were so cold that it looked like ice had settled in his pupils. "I just…I can't. You don't understand." I was growing frustrated but I didn't show it. "Every time I close my eyes, I feel like I'm drowning. I _do_ drown. The dreams…I can't sleep. I can barely get any sleep."

I sympathized with him for a whole minute. I knew what it felt like to have dreams, something fabricated and harmless, to take a turn into becoming something real and hurting you to the point where you almost die. But that didn't mean you took someone else's life into your own hands.

"You can't punish these girls…for something they didn't do."

He looked down at her and then back at me. "He said…if I do this it will stop."

I frowned. "Who said David?" I stepped closer; I was close enough to the girl to take her from him. But I waited.

The sky cackled with lighting, the thunder rumbled, and a hard rain welled inside the clouds. It trickled at first, dotting my clothes like teardrops. But then harder and harder until it sounded like rock salt pellets hitting the ground. I was soaked in moments and shivering from being cold and fear.

David frowned and it looked like the saddest thing in the world and it looked like his eyes were tearing up because of the rain. "The man with the Yellow Eyes."

I sighed softly and looked at the wood beneath my feet. Even though that son of a bitch was dead he was still torturing people like Sam and me. People "chosen" to be in a psychic army. What a load of shit.

"Listen to me, the yellow eyed man is dead. I helped kill him." He looked into my eyes and they bore into me, chilling my spine. "You don't have to follow what he says anymore. He was…a liar. He did this to you…you…you're hydrokinesis."

He let the girl go then and she took off in a sprint, I barely had time to even make sure she was alright. I turned and watched her go towards the house Sam and Dean were in. She ran past it and down the street until her figure disappeared into the darkness.

Suddenly David grabbed my arms and pulled me towards him. I grunted and went to kick him but he twisted my arm and turned me about until my back was against him, arm pinned behind me.

"He didn't do anything to me." He whispered in my ear. I closed my eyes and swallowed. I should have never left Sam. "I was born…" He stopped and swallowed. "I was born…this way."

If he was just…born with the abilities, why would Yellow Eyes have anything to do with him? I went to speak but he beat me to it.

"Those dreams…he said they were messages for me. To help him…the dreams would stop if I just…I helped him."

He was so emotionally distressed, his body and mind were broken, and he was talking in numerous circles that I couldn't follow.

"What did he want you to do?"

He leaned close and placed a small kiss on my neck. "Kill. You." The thunder rumbled again across the sky.

My eyes widened and I tried pulling away, he was stronger. I would have tried stopping hard on his foot and then bringing my leg back and tripping his sorry ass, but the bridge was too fragile. If I brought him down there was a good chance the bridge would go with it.

I didn't understand. If Yellow Eyes was dead, dead for a few goddamn months now, how could David still be having dreams? Was it like an aftershock, like waves from a storm still crashing onto the beach after the storm has passed? Or was it a curse, something that couldn't be shaken or taken away. Was every child Yellow Eyes infected doomed to be cursed with horrible dreams and the power to do awful things? To go down a path…that they weren't meant to be on? Killing the demon was supposed to help people, to make things better…and it hadn't. Maybe it was better for the Winchesters and me…but I had forgotten all the other people that were in this with us. All the infected, psychic children.

I shook my head and he turned me again, his lips grazing mine. "I'm so sorry Andy," I could hear Sam and Dean call my name in the background. "I don't really have a choice." He kissed me gently, his mouth tasted like desperation. "I just…need it to stop."

My eyes glanced to the bridge and I gasped softly. Why hadn't I noticed…remembered that not all the water was coming from the sky. The water from the lake was rising up, above our heads. It looked angry and ready to swallow me whole.

He pulled back from me and the water encircled me quickly and in one fluid motion it lifted me from the bridge. I screamed I felt it jerk me to the side...but I didn't hit the water below like I was supposed to. Like I had from my dream. I did fall, however, the water wall had dissipated and I fell from the air. I grabbed the side of the bridge and my whole body jolted as my downward motion stopped. I grunted and tried to pull my weight up.

I looked up as I Sam grabbed my arms and started pulling me up. "I got you." He said, pained as he tried to pull my weight up from it hanging over the bridge.

As he pulled my arms I managed to catch a glimpse of what had happened. Dean had tackled David as the water took me into the air. So when David lost his concentration, the water started falling like gravity had intended it to. Which meant I could only follow in its direction. Dean was unleashing a series of punches across David's face as Sam managed to get my torso above the side. I used my leg and to hoist myself towards Sam just as David kicked Dean hard...from the amount of swearing I could tell it was not anywhere good.

Dean fell back on his ass and groaned, curling into himself for a moment. He tried to retaliate as quickly as he could…but who could blame him for getting a slow move on it. I heard there was nothing worse than a man getting kicked in the crotch. That was a low blow from David…but I guess rules of fairness weren't really assigned for life and death matches.

The force from Dean's fall rocked the bridge and I heard a sickening cracking noise, a noise that reminded me of an iced lake cracking when there was too much pressure on it.

Sam's eyes and mine met once just as the bridge's edge, the one I had grabbed onto to avoid falling into the river, shuttered and broke apart. The break was like one card in a house of cards falling over; everything tended to go with it.

Sam and I tried to make a run for it but there was no solid ground to move on, I felt myself fall backwards and saw Sam falling towards me. Everything was in slow motion until we hit the icy water below.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The river's current was fierce. It pulled me in every direction like a rag doll. My entire body was frozen from the moment I hit the water. I wouldn't know the difference if Sam was still holding onto me or if he wasn't; I couldn't feel my numb limbs.

I tried to get to the surface, to breathe, but I didn't know which way was up. It was pitch dark and the unbelievably bitter temperature was making it hard to move.

I felt something tug me. I couldn't distinguish if it was Sam or if it was another current. I couldn't speak and I couldn't breathe, all the air had rushed out of my lungs from the impact of the fall.

I never thought, not once in my dangerous, wacky life, that I would die from something as simple as drowning. Getting my heart ripped out by a werewolf, getting the life sucked out of me by a vampire, a changeling attacking, a windego ripping my skin apart, a vengeful spirit hitting me over the head with a heavy object or making my death just as gruesome as there's had been… were all possibilities. Drowning from falling off a bridge…had never crossed my mind. But then again, neither had dying from old age. I guess after this any death could be possible for a hunter.

I felt myself slip farther and farther into the darkness of the water, my ears were ringing and my chest hurt like rocks had been piled onto it, my throat ached with the urge to breathe and limbs stung like they had been frostbitten.

I wondered, just for a moment, if I was going to die before Dean.

Then the world was as black as the river water.

O0o0o0o0o00o0

Some sort of sound hit my ears. The sound of a muffled voice. I leaned up as water rushed up and out of my windpipe. I gasped and coughed hard, haggard breaths making their way into my lungs and past my lips again.

"Christ." Sam said, pulling me close and rubbing my back. I just collapsed against him, shaking so hard it looked like my body was having a seizure. He was shaking too. Not as hard and not as often…but he was. "I thought…fuck, I thought you drowned."

I swallowed; the ache in my throat almost awful enough to stop me from speaking. "I almost did." I opened my eyes, not even realizing they were closed. I tried to take in my surroundings as best I could. "S-ss-amm." I stuttered, my lips starting to shake. The cold had finally reached my entire body.

"Shh. It's alright," He turned his head and leaned down till his lips were near my nose. He kissed it gently. I would have made a comment about how…well fuck, I had almost drowned and he was being inappropriate. I just took it that he was relieved I was alright and let it go. I'd yell and complain and set him straight when I could feel my body again. "The current took us pretty far down the river." I felt him swallow. "I hope Dean's alright. Far as I know…that bridge took everyone into the water."

I closed my eyes again. "C-cc-ccooldd." I managed to say.

He nodded and gently leaned back. "I know, I know. I have to check you out before I lift you, I don't want to make anything worse if you broke a bone."

I just…I just sat there. I couldn't feel anything. He had to know that. And I think he did. He didn't ask me if I felt like I was hurt, he just surveyed by squeezing and touching my legs, arms, and ribs through my clothes.

"Amazingly enough, I don't think you broke anything." He lifted my shirt, I felt the fabric against my skin…but it felt like a layer of cotton was between me and the shirt. "Pretty bad bruising. But nothing is broken."

I barely nodded; I opened my eyes to look at him again and swallowed. His hair was tussled about, mud caked the side of his face and his lips had the slightest tinge of blue to them.

"You…ss-ssaaved mm-ee." I got out.

He smiled, and it was warm and genuine and everything that was Sam Winchester. Softly, like a feather hitting the ground, "Yes, I did."

I realized then…that that's all there would be after a year. Him saving me, me saving him. No third person. No Dean. After a year, there would only one person I could trust my life with. It was the same person that had saved my life from the pull of the rivers angry and cold current.

I wondered if this is how it was going to feel, the feeling of just Sam and me against the world, for the rest of my life.

O0o0o0o0o00o0o

I was going in and out. My eyes were heavy, making it hard to stay awake. My body shook in Sam's arms as his long legs walked over uneven woodlands, trying to get to the Impala. He was talking to me, but I didn't have the energy to respond to him. And even if I did, I'd sound like a stuttering fool with my teeth chattering.

"Almost there." He kept reassuring me, which made me feel like he didn't know where he was or that we weren't any closer to the car than the last time he told me.

I just nodded and tried to wiggle my fingers. I had some feeling back in them, luckily, but I still couldn't feel most of the rest of my body.

"Jesus, is she alright?"

I turned my head. "D..d..ddean."

He touched my cheek. "Hey sweetheart." Dean smiled gently. "She's freezing." That was to Sam, obviously, he wasn't looking at me anymore.

"I know." Sam gently passed me into Dean's arms. "What happened to you? You seem…well not soaking wet and cold to the bone."

I felt Dean's chin hit my head as he nodded and carried me up the semi-steep hill to the car. "That's because I didn't fall into the river. I move pretty well for someone who's been kicked in the nads."

Sam winced out of sympathy. "We'll get you an icepack back at the motel." He held his hand out. "I'll drive."

Dean just looked at him as Sam opened the back car door. "Just because _your_ nads are fine doesn't give you permission to drive my baby."

I rolled my eyes and Sam let out a semi-irritated sigh. If I wasn't freezing, tired, or achy I would have commented on the two meanings of that "drive my baby" sentence.

"Sit in the back with your girlfriend." He snagged the keys from Dean and got in the driver's seat.

I looked up at Dean as he sat next to me and closed the door. "D-dddon't wanna ss-ssit with mmee?"

He smirked softly at my impaired speech and kissed my nose. He slid his leather jacket down his arms and set it on his lap and peeled some of my wet clothes off. When I was left in my jeans and bar, he wrapped me up in the jacket and pulled me close.

"There's no one else I'd rather sit with. " He said softly, rubbing my arms and back.

I buried my face in his neck, soaking up as much heat as I could. He shivered from the contact of my cold skin.

"D-david?" Hardly any stuttering. That was good.

Dean swallowed and I saw Sam look back at us through the rearview mirror.

"David…didn't make it."

I closed my eyes and couldn't bring myself to ask why.

O00o0o0o0o

"Dean…come on, I'm f-f-freezing." I swallowed as I sat on the closed toilet, watching him fiddle with the faucet knobs for the tub.

He looked at me. "You want to be even _more_ f-f-freezing?" I glared at him for the fake stuttering. "Don't glare at me shivery girl. I'm trying to get the water at least lukewarm." He turned back to the tub and muttered something along the lines of, "Fucking motel piping".

I looked down at my damp body, wrapped in one of Sam's button down shirts, which Dean wasn't thrilled about. I had managed to get my hands to stop shaking when we got back to the motel room and removed the rest of my clothes in the bathroom. Dean didn't have any clean button down shirts, since it was his turn to do a laundry run and he was avoiding it until the last possible moment. Sam had given me one of his to wear until Dean got the water to a temperature he approved of.

For some reason, when he wasn't complaining about the water, he was commenting on how Sam just gave me that shirt because he wanted to picture me naked in it the next time he wore it.

With a sigh and a bar of soap hitting the back of his head, Dean dropped the topic. Thank God. Otherwise I was going to throw something heavier than soap.

"How's your…nether regions?"

Dean smirked. "Nether regions?" I shrugged. "Since when has your mouth become so polite with phrases for my crotch?"

I rolled my eyes and then shivered, pulling the shirt closer around my body. "I'm sorry my mouth doesn't resemble a gutter 24/7."

Dean turned and gave me a devilish grin. "I kind of like it when it does…huge turn on." I couldn't help but smile and shook my head.

He turned the feel the tap again. "Finally, perfect temperature."

"Of course…because I'm practically dry by now." I quipped.

"Shh." He tapped my nose playfully as he came over to stand in front of me. "You're still caked with mud. You look like you lost a fight with a chocolate monster."

I pouted. "I would rather it be chocolate than mud."

Dean smiled and licked his lower lip, he slowly pulled Sam's shirt off my body. "Covered in chocolate huh? How naughty…"

I smirked and moved to step in the tub. I sat in the porcelain basin as Dean kneeled and plugged up the drain. The tub started to fill with warm water. "What is it with you and your downstairs brain tonight?"

He shrugged and wet a washcloth. "Not my fault you're mentioning yourself covered in chocolate."

"Being aroused sounds like it could be painful in your damaged state."

His face looked like I had taken a battering ram to his car. "I do not have damaged goods, Andy!"

I laughed and then covered my mouth to stifle it. "You want me to ask Sam to help instead?"

He pouted, just slightly and god_damn _it, I wanted to bite his lower lip. "Low blow."

"Just trying to help un-arouse you." I insisted as he started to wipe the mud off my arms. The clear water was already becoming the color of the river.

Dean reached for the drain plug. "Want to help with something? How bout not talking to anyone that could be a psycho killer that wants to throw you over a bridge."

I frowned as the water drained and he filled the tub back up with clean water. "That wasn't my fault." I said softly and looked down.

Dean washed my knees and my legs. He then put the cloth down and tilted my chin. "I never said it was. Okay?" I looked into his eyes and nodded. "Not everything is your fault."

I shrugged gently and pulled my chin from his hand. "Feels like that sometimes."

He smirked and shook his head. "I'm sure I've said this many, many times. You're too much like a Winchester, taking everything to the chin like that. You don't have to balance everyone's lives on your shoulders, sweetheart. Not fair to you."

Dean worked the shampoo into my hair. We didn't speak for a long time. Partially because we didn't agree. It wasn't my fault…but it was. It had to be someone's fault.

"You gonna get in?" I finally asked and he shrugged.

"If I get in, we won't get back out." He said with a smirk. I smiled softly as he rinsed my hair and drained the tub. "I'll get one tomorrow morning. Besides, the mud on Sam has to be crusted to a hard shell by now." He helped me stand and wrapped me up in a towel. "I'll get you some clothes."

He left for a moment and I got out of the tub, drying off. I heard Sam and Dean talk about some things; what case we had next, when we were heading next, random odds and ends.

"Shower is all yours." I said, sitting on the bed.

Sam groaned. "_Finally_. This mud is starting to become a part of me." He went into the bathroom and shut the door.

Dean chuckled, setting clothes down next to me. He slid the towel off, placing kisses over my shoulder bones.

I smiled and kissed his forehead taking over his duty and put my clothes on. I laid back on the bed, comfortable in my sweatpants and green camisole. I watched Dean take his shirt off and unbuckle his jeans.

"Oh, Bobby called. Sam said Riley is starting to get restless." He smiled and put his pants in the wash pile.

I played with the bottom of my shirt. "She misses you."

Dean glanced at me. "Us."

You. She misses you. I turned on my side and faced the headboard. I saw the walls shake from the effort of the pipes behind the plaster. Motel room pipes always had a bitching factor when it came to using too much hot water. I swallowed and looked down at the pillows. I had no problem admitting that our little girl had a fondness for her daddy. Sure, she loved me as much as a three month old could. But her capacity and understanding of love seemed to teiple in strength when she was around Dean. Hell, even when she wasn't around Dean she just…I couldn't think of a simpler term, she just wanted him. Wanted to be in his arms, hear his voice, and feel the warmth of his skin. Even if she didn't quite understand it, he calmed her. She was so much like me.

It made me wonder how it was going to be…when Dean was gone. I could picture her crying at the top of her lungs until she just fell asleep from exhaustion. Would this go on until she forgot how it felt to be close to him? Would it take days, months…years? Or maybe she'd never forget him…like I never would. Condemned to feel his touch, hear his voice, and smell his comforting cinnamon scent.

I felt the bed dip beside me and Dean's hand on my shoulder jolted me from my thoughts.

"Sorry." He said gently for scaring me and kissed the back of my shoulder.

I sighed softly and nodded. His one arm propped him up on his side by his elbow. His other arm slipped around my waist. I leaned back into his chest and he peppered kisses along my neck.

"What did you mean by 'you'?"

I swallowed and shook my head. I didn't want to talk about it. "Nothing, forget I said anything." He sighed and leaned back a little and I frowned, turning on my back to look up at him. "We gonna fight about this?" I was so tired of fighting over stupid shit sometimes. We didn't have the _time_ to fight over stupid things anymore.

"No." But he sounded short and angry.

I rubbed my forehead. "Right. Dean what do you want me to say?"

"You think Riley loves me more than you?"

"No," I said, exasperated. His face went sour. He so didn't like my tone. "I just…" I changed the sound of my voice…I remained calm in what I was trying to say. "think that she loves us differently."

"She's three months old!"

"Dean, a three month old…can play favoritism." Alright so I didn't know what the hell I was talking about but it sure felt that way sometimes. "My mom told me I did when I was around that age. "

He rolled his eyes. "Because your mother is such a _reliable_ source."

My mouth fell open and I felt the urge to slap him. Why did he always have to cause a fight out of nothing?

I just stared at him a moment. "What is this Dean?" He didn't answer. "Why…why do you keep…picking fights with me out of nowhere? I mean if you have some sort of goddamn bipolar disorder, we can get it checked out." I snipped.

He scoffed. "Little late to be worrying about life disorders, Andy. Seeing as how I'll be dead in a few months."

I just looked at him and didn't respond. After a long moment my eyes started to sting and fill with liquid, though I couldn't tell if I just needed to blink or if they were tears.

"I'm…"

I cut him off. "I'm sleeping next to Sam tonight…I just…I can't be near you right now."

I turned and crawled into Sam's bed, facing away from Dean as I curled into the sheets and pillow. I didn't look back at him and didn't answer Sam when he asked why I had changed beds. Dean muttered a semblance of a reply, but nothing I could make out. I looked up as Sam got in bed next to me. The tears were long gone from my face and he pulled the covers up and over my shoulder.

I swallowed as he mouthed, "Are you okay?". And with a slight head nod he felt like it was enough affirmation to mouth, "What happened?".

I shrugged gently. What could I say? That Dean was mad over nothing? That I was angry over Dean being mad over nothing? What could I _say_? That I wanted time apart when we barely had any time left? That I was scared…terrified that my inklings about Riley might come true? That I felt like Dean was fighting with me most of the time because it was easier than the latter. Easier than living.

My breath shuddered and Sam pulled me into his arms as Dean turned the light off. Dean's spirit was dying before his body was…and the fact that I was crying in Sam's arms while Dean was _alive_ in the bed next to me was something I'd regret in the morning.


	7. Chapter 7: Bad Day at Black Rock Part 1

so yeah, took me forever right? well i had college and...a lot of writer's blocks :/ the point? HERE IT IS AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY. will try to update more frequently, now that its summer. thank you to all the people who still reviewed and stuck with me :D you guys are the best! as i said, i will never give up on this story, chapters will always come, no matter how long inbetween :D

o0o0o0o0o0o

Chapter 7: Bad Day at Black Rock Part 1

I woke up curled up in Sam's arms. I grunted softly, trying to break free, swearing as his arms tightened at my movement. The gesture would have been endearing if it hadn't of made me feel so awkward. This wasn't why I wanted to sleep next to Sam. He was my best friend and it was comforting to be near him when I was upset with Dean. Sam had always been someone I could go to, especially when I had had fights with Dean…or John back in the day. I used to get in awful fights with John over school work. I remember I brought home a failing math test in fourth grade and he nearly exploded.

He was on a short fuse regardless, so I should have known better to not light so many matches around him. I couldn't help that I was so awful in math; both Sam and Dean had tried to help me with it. I still couldn't believe that Dean had gotten a better test grade then me. I swear he cheated off that nerd of a kid he used to sit next to. I got sent to bed without dinner four nights in a row. Thanks to Sam, who snuck me biscuits and some of the fruit roll ups we kept in the cabinets; I didn't spend the night so hungry.

Sam also knew just how to hold me when things got so bad I ended up crying. John was a stern father and a hell of a lot meaner when he had a few beers in him. Sure, at the end of the day, he was a good father. I had no one else to go to when my dad died. So it was a great burden to take me in when he already had Sam and Dean to take care of. I respected him for that, more now than I did when I was little.

I gently pried Sam's arms off me and pushed back from him, intending on putting my foot down on the floor and using it to push myself up from bed. Unfortunately, I was closer to the edge of the bed than I thought and the push away from Sam was enough to knock my ass onto the floor. I groaned and heard a faint chuckle from across the room. I rolled my eyes and turned my head to look at Dean from the floor. He was seated comfortably at the table, which held Styrofoam cups of coffee and a plastic bag full of food from the diner down the road.

"Hope you enjoyed the show, jerk." I sat up and used the bed to help myself stand, since Dean apparently had no intention of helping me.

"Hey, I wasn't going to help pry yourself out of Sam's arms when you clearly wanted to be there last night."

I felt my lower back and slowly walked to the bathroom. "It was an accident; I had no intention of being…"

"If I could count the number of times I've used that excuse…" Dean sipped his coffee.

I turned the bathroom light on. "Sorry Dean, you did this to yourself."

"So since, we apparently have this open relationship now," I glared at him. "Can I have the hot cashier I met this morning sleep with me tonight?"

"I didn't sleep next to Sam because he's hot!"

"Oh…so now you think he's hot."

I threw a shirt at him, which he easily caught. "I slept next to him because you were being an asshole!"

He shrugged and made this face that looked like he had this "holier than thou" attitude going on. Like he was innocent in all this. Like I chose to sleep next to Sam because I was secretly in love with him.

"I'm an asshole most of the time! You've never bunkered down to Sam before!"

I glanced over at Sam, surprised he wasn't even stirring from the noise. I looked back at Dean. "You were _never_ like this before your deal. You…were never so self-sacrificing and…and mean!" He raised his eyebrows at my childlike comment.

He came closer to me and licked his lips, a small devilish smirk flashing on his face…I didn't like how it made me feel. Not that the feeling was a bad one, it was just…ugh! I was trying to be angry at him and he approached me looking so goddamn sexy.

I rolled my eyes for dramatic effect, and looked away from him as his hands gripped the sides of my waist, pulling me towards him a little.

"Hey, come on." He turned his head to try and get me to look at him but I turned my head in the other direction. "Look at me."

"No." His devilish charms weren't going to work on me if I didn't look at him. He placed a small kiss on my neck and I swallowed. "I'm not letting you slide just because you know where I liked to be kissed." I said softly, weakly.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw him smiling, like he thought he was winning. Fuck…he kinda was.

"Here," He said, kissing my neck again. He slid my shirt of in one fluid motion that I couldn't find time to grab it back from him, or maybe…I just didn't want to. "Here," He kissed my shoulder. He smiled against my skin and his head dipped lower to kiss below and between my breasts. "There." My stomach fluttered as he kneeled. "Here." He kissed above my belly button. He looked up at me. "Heart warming up to me yet?"

That wasn't the only thing warming up to him, I chewed on my lower lip. "You're a cheater. Using your lips is like using your hands in soccer."

"Oh…" He pulled on the drawstring of my bottoms. "So you want me to use my hands now?"

I swatted his hands away before he could get any farther. But it was to no avail. I let him slide the fabric down ten seconds later. He picked me up and laid me down in bed, he gracefully laid himself on top of me and covered both of us, head to toe, with the blankets.

The blankets were so thick that it created an intimate darkness between us. I couldn't see him but I could feel his heart beat against through his clothes and against my chest.

His breath was hot against my ear and his voice was soft and meaningful. "I know 'I'm sorry' is just starting to sound like an excuse but… I am. Sorry." He swallowed and his hand came up to caress my face. "I don't have much of a life left…"

I swallowed, no I couldn't hear this. I tried to shift out from under him. "Dean…"

"Shh." He crooned, stroking my hair. "Let me say this." I stopped squirming and looked up at him, at where his face would have been if the dark sheets hadn't hidden his form. "I don't have much of a life left and I … have to remember that you and Riley are the most important things in it. And you're right, I'm angry and I'm pissed and upset…but there's no reason to let it all out on you."

I licked my lips, and he must have been so close that when I did it, I touched his lips as well. "Yeah, because when it comes to emotions, you're not really the crying and poetry jam type."

He chuckled and it was the best sound in the world.

"I just get the angry emotions…" I said softly. "And when I'll think of you…us…" I swallowed tears down, staying strong. "That's not what I want to remember."

He cupped the side of my face, stroking his thumb under my eyelid, like painting a brushstroke on a canvas.

"Then I promise to be more like the man you fell in love with." He nodded, swearing to me. The look in his eyes was making a promise.

"The man I fell in love with?" I smiled and bit my lower lip; he placed a kiss on my nose.

He nodded softly and rested his forehead against mine. "Cheap pick up lines and all."

I laughed loudly and he smiled against my lips.

Our next hour spent fooling around under the covers woke up Sam.

O00o0o0o0o0o0

"I think we should tell Dean about your little demon sidekick."

"Ruby?" Sam looked over at me as I packed my bags. "You said we wouldn't tell him."

I sighed and looked at the bathroom door and waited to make sure I still heard the shower going before I continued. "That was before she said that she could get him out of his deal. And by the way, thanks so much for dropping this crap on me like a bomb."

"Look," Sam sighed. "I just…thought you deserved to know, we had this little partnership going on with this demon and I didn't want to lie to you."

"Duly noted." I muttered, running a hand through my hair. Jacket, socks, pants….shirts…what was I missing? I looked around the room and my eyes landed on my pajama pants pile lying on the table. "Bingo." I went over, gathered the clothes in my arms and stuffed them into the duffel.

He sat on the bed and watched me. "I don't want to tell Dean until we're sure this Ruby can hold up her end."

I gave him a look that I hope was forceful enough for him to realize how idiotic I thought he was being. "Sam. Demons lie. For their _own_ benefit." I said everything as slow and carefully as I could. Who would have ever thought that I would need to explain something so simple to the smarter Winchester brother? Or well, at least I thought he was the smartest. After this…who the hell knows?

"What makes this Ruby chick any different? And just so you know…Dean will figure this out. He will; he usually always does. Remember when I broke that rifle when I was younger…and you and I devised a plan to bury in the back of the motel? Who found out about it…not two days later?" I rolled my eyes and put my shoes on. "I don't want to get into another fight with Dean, okay? So either we tell him together, or I'll do it by myself Sam."

I shoved the last piece of clothing into my bag and zipped it up.

I heard the bathroom door crack open. How long had the shower been off?

"Tell me what, Andy?" Dean's voice echoed in my head, I felt a headache sear my temples.

I sighed and closed my eyes. This is what I had been afraid of.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Because "demon", that's why. I mean, the second you find out this Ruby chick is a demon; you go for the holy water. You don't chat!" Dean yelled, making the pounding in my head become something resembling a Metallica concert.

"Ugh." I rubbed my temples. "Come on, Dean…please?" I looked up and squealed as Dean dodged a bird in the middle of the road. "And watch the damn road!"

I said that the same time Sam finally spoke up. "No one was chatting, Dean."

He had been letting Dean vent for the past ten minutes, telling Sam how stupid, careless and reckless he had been just letting a demon leave his goddamn presence. The only way the bitch should have been leaving, according to him, was via cloud of black smoke.

"Don't even start." Dean snapped. "I'll get to you in a minute."

I bit my tongue on the comment of, "Who died and made you John Winchester?" and just huffed, leaning back in the seat. Sam sighed and I looked at him in the passenger seat, he was reaching down to the mini cooler that he kept between his legs on the ground on longer car rides. He handed me a bottle of water and some Tylenol from his coat pocket. I took it gratefully and downed the pills as quick as I could.

"Oh, yeah?" Dean swerved left and it was followed by an angry car honk from a pissed off driver he cut off. "Then, why didn't you send her ass back to hell?"

"Because she said she might be able to help us out!" Sam was starting to yell now too…or maybe everything was just being magnified because of my headache.

"How?" Dean gripped the wheel at a red light and Sam didn't respond. He just shook his head, obviously pissed and upset and looked out the window. Dean's voice softened a fraction, he was still angry…but not at the magnitude he was before. "No, really, Sam, how? How could she _possibly _help us?"

I leaned up in my seat. "Look, Dean, she told Sam she could help you, okay? Help you out of the crossroads deal."

The glare Dean gave me cut me into a million pieces. How the hell did he have so much power over me? Oh…right, because I loved him. "You're just…fucking desperate aren't you?" I sighed and leaned back. "You'll just go with anything, with any crazy idea to get me out of this deal?"

He slammed on the gas as the light turned green and I was jolt back into the seat, some of the wind knocked out of me. "Ugh!" I held my chest for a moment. "Christ Dean." I shoved the front seat hard.

Sam shook his head. "And for the record, Andy didn't agree with me and Ruby. She was saying everything you're telling me now, although which a much nicer tone. And she wanted to tell you what was going on! Andy and I aren't on the same side on this."

I swallowed and felt like I had somehow betrayed Sam's trust…but Dean needed to know. Especially since it had everything to do with him.

Dean seemed to take that information into account, you know, for a whole ten seconds. Then he started screaming at Sam again. "What is wrong with you, huh? She's lying! You've gotta know that, don't you?"

I couldn't tell whether he was angrier at Sam for listening to Ruby or at Ruby for trying to weasel her good graces into Sam's head…which she obviously accomplished at doing. "She knows what your weakness is: it's me." He paused and swallowed, like he didn't really want to admit that to Sam.

"What else did she say?" Sam didn't respond again and I sighed, lying down on the seat and burying my head under Dean's leather jacket. "Dude?" He prodded.

"Nothing." Sam said, short and annoyed. I felt like he wasn't going to talk to me again. He and I both knew telling Dean would go badly…and now he was getting attacked for it. So yeah, there was a good chance Sam wasn't going to speak to me for days.

I peeked my head out from under Dean's jacket and looked up at Dean between the seats; he was giving Sam this look that made Sam confirm Dean thought he was full of shit.

"Nothing, okay?" Sam yelled, making my ears ache. "Look, I'm not an idiot, Dean! I'm not talking about trusting her! I'm talking about _using _her. We're at war, right? And we don't know jack about the enemy." I watched Dean's face as Sam spoke, for a moment he looked like he was getting through to him…but then I saw a wall go up over his face. Dean wasn't having any of this.

"And, this Ruby girl knows more than we will ever find out on our own. It's a risk; I think Sam and I both know that. But maybe…we need to consider taking it." I said softly, sitting up.

Dean just sighed as he turned into the Singer Salvage Yard. "You're okay, right? I mean, you're feeling okay—"He looked back at me but it was Sam who answered.

"Yes! She's fine! Why are you always asking her that?" As soon as the car stopped he got out and slammed the door. I was surprised Dean didn't jump out right after him and drag his ass back to the car to shut the door correctly.

I ran my hands over my face. "Dean…"

He shook his head and got out of the car before I could say anything. Fuck, fuck, _fuck_. I hurriedly got out the car and rounded to the trunk like he did. I was not letting this get us into another fight. No way in hell; I'd had enough.

He opened the trunk and started taking our bags out. "Dean. I'm sorry. But I did tell you…"

"Yeah? And how long have you known about this and not told me?" He handed me my bag.

"Just…a few weeks." I winced as I saw the plain hurt in his eyes. "Come on Dean, I promised Sam I wouldn't…and the point is, I did tell you!"

Dean looked at me for a hard few seconds, but then his face softened. "You know, you're right. You did." I swallowed, thinking for a moment this was some kind of ploy to confuse me and admit I was wrong. But…then he continued. "I'm sorry I yelled at you," he kissed the side of my head. "Leave the rest of the bags, I'll come back out and get them."

"Okay." I said softly, watching him carry some of the bags to the front of Bobby's house and inside.

I picked up another bag and started carrying mine to the front door as well. Dean wasn't really sorry, and he really wasn't okay with Sam and me trusting a demon. I saw it in his eyes, the promise he made to me to be the man I fell in love with. He was lying down, forgetting the fight with me. Which only made me wonder if he'd take it out on Sam twice as hard.

I tried taking that into account but the truth was, I was glad we weren't fighting and that we could just…focus on what we came here for. I watched Dean as I entered Bobby's house and set down the bags. Bobby was placing Riley in his arms and the look on his face, the happiness that seemed to radiate from Dean was tremendous. Bobby and Sam had similar smiles on their faces and I could feel my own smile spread on my face. This is what we were here for, some relaxation time before the next hunt. Everything else could wait.

O00o0o0o0o0o0

I jiggled Riley in my arms as Sam and Dean sat on the couch, enjoying a beer. I looked at Bobby. "So she was…good? Right?"

Bobby chuckled and came over to kiss Riley's cheek and squeeze my shoulder. "Little angel, much better then you were at that age."

I glared at him as Dean snorted. "Hey, I was a perfect baby!"

Sam laughed. "Yeah, when you were sleeping maybe…"

I made a face and threw a pillow from a chair across the room at him, he dodged it easily and it plopped onto the couch between him and Dean. I rolled my eyes and looked at Riley, her big blue eyes looking up at me. I smiled softly and kissed her forehead.

"Bobby, I just want to thank you again…"

"Please, don't." I looked up at him. "Your father and John never thanked me as much as you do. Believe me, young lady, it's a pleasure."

I smiled. "Well that's because John and Max weren't as nice and polite as me." I laughed softly as Bobby smiled and went into the kitchen.

"How's pasta for dinner tonight?"

I shrugged and went to sit between Sam and Dean. "Why? You cooking?"

I heard Bobby snort. "Please. You are. If anything it's to make it up to me for the babysitting." He was talking in a joking manner, seeing as how he made it clear that he loved watching Riley and it was no hassle at all.

I smiled and set Riley to sit on my lap; both of the Winchesters instantly moved their hands over to play with Riley's feet. I smirked softly. "Just put the water on for the noodles and I'll get right on it!"

I heard pots and pans clatter so I figured Bobby was doing just that. I watched Sam's hand tickle the bottom of Riley's foot and she cooed. I smiled softly and bumped my shoulder against his, trying to see if he was mad at me. He looked at me and gave me a smile, saying that he wasn't without me even having to ask him. Having a best friend who knew you so well was really a benefit sometimes.

As Sam started to play with her left hand, winding his pointer finger through her little fist, Dean was still playing with her right foot. I watched him as he touched each little toe and he leaned down to kiss her pinky. I ran a hand through his hair and he closed his eyes; I'm guessing he was committing the few moments to memory.

I heard the water whistle and looked at Dean. "Will you take her?"

"Will you make me a pie while you're in there?" He sat up and threw me a cocky grin, like he hadn't just been the tenderest father on the planet a few seconds ago.

I snorted and started to give her to Sam, a 'hell no to the pie' action.

"Alright, alright!" Dean said. "No pie. Gimme her."

I chuckled softly and gently set her on Dean's lap. "Sorry Sam." I ruffled his hair as I passed him and went to the kitchen.

I pulled my hair up and glanced at Sam and Dean on the couch. Sam moved to sit right against Dean and as Dean was holding Riley up, Sam was tickling her belly. I smiled softly and shook my head. I looked at Bobby.

"You have a pie dish?"

O0o0o0o0o

Dean groaned, throwing his napkin on the table, leaning back in the chair. "I can't…eat…anymore!"

I chuckled softly as I pulled Riley back from my chest as I finished breast feeding, I quickly adjusted my shirt. "And to think you wanted to eat a whole nother pie at the beginning of this meal."

"Eyes are huge. Stomach is tiny right now." He rubbed his belly and I smiled softly.

I looked at Sam and Bobby. I would have never thought Dean would have been admitting his eyes were bigger than his stomach. But I guess that's what happens after you have four servings of pasta, a piece of garlic bread and a chicken breast. Oh and a piece of pie.

Sam nodded. "Meal was great Andy, thank you."

Bobby stood up and I started to stand to help. "No way missy, you made dinner, you let us clean up." I smiled and sat back down in the chair.

Dean groaned and Bobby smacked him with a newspaper. "Ow!"

"You too chucklehead." He informed, putting the paper down and gathering some of the plates.

Sam smiled at me and stood, taking some glasses and a few pieces of silverware into the kitchen to be put into the sink.

"You better go help." I teased Dean. "Next time he'll smack you with a paddle."

Dean leaned over and braced himself on the arms of the chair. He kissed me and then ran his nose against mine. "Think after he's done with it we can borrow it?" He raised his eyebrows and I laughed.

"No, now get in that kitchen and get to work!"

He smirked and shook his head, leaning down to kiss Riley's forehead. "Your mommy is a spoil sport." He started to collect the rest of the dishes.

"And your daddy is a horn dog." I rested my lips against her head.

Dean grinned at me. "And proud of it."

I smiled as he disappeared into the kitchen. I sighed softly and rubbed the side of my head. My headache had yet to go away, even after the Advil I had taken after the Tylenol had worn off. Not that it had done much good. It took off the edge, but my head had still hurt.

I stood up and set Riley down in her portable car seat. It served as I nice rocker as well. I didn't strap her into the seat but instead put her baby blanket over her. I picked the rocker up and set it on the table and started cleaning up some random knick knacks the boys didn't come back to get. I carried them into the kitchen and set them down in the sink. Dean was washing, while Sam was drying and Bobby put the dishes away.

I couldn't figure out what they were all talking about. Some of it was sports related and some of it had to do with weapons used to kill certain beasts we hadn't come across yet in our line of work and another topic that was touched about was Sam's lack of a love life…poor Sam. But they were just topic jumping and it was so…nice and normal. It just seemed like an everyday night in a family household. Okay, minus the weapon talk, but other than that it was shockingly normal. And I couldn't have loved it more.

I went into the living room, carrying Riley in the rocker. I set her down next to me on the couch, gently tugging the bottom of the rocker so it jostled her gently, like rocking her in a rocking chair. She cooed softly and her eyes started to close. I smiled softly and picked up the remote and turned the TV on. I let the sounds of clanking dishes and a Folgers coffee commercial lull me into a sense of relaxation.

O0o0o0o0o0o0

I felt someone run a hand through my hair and I slowly woke up. I looked around the room and then up at Dean. "Riley…" I looked to where I had set down her rocker as he sat on the other side of me.

"Sam's got her. She's fine." He put an arm around my upper back.

"Ugh." I rubbed my eyes and yawned. "Can't believe I fell asleep, I wasn't even tired."

And on top of the headache that still pounded behind my eyelids, I felt like a bad mom. I shouldn't have fallen asleep with Riley just sitting in the rocker like that. I could have shifted when I was asleep and knocked the carrier over or…God a ton of bad things could have happened.

"Was I out long?"

"Just for an hour."

"An hour?" I looked at him and groaned. "I'm sorry."

He smirked softly and kissed my nose. "You're apologizing for being tired?"

I shook my head and shrugged softly. I rubbed my temples for a moment and I could feel Dean's frown before I even saw it. He gently took one of my hands while the other cupped the side of my head, bringing me closer to him. He kissed the side of my head tenderly and I closed my eyes again.

"Your head still hurt?" He asked softly.

I nodded and swallowed. I turned into his chest and rested against him, his cologne coming off him in waves as he moved to lean back into the couch. He pulled my legs onto the couch and wrapped his arms around me.

"Maybe you just need some more sleep."

"Maybe." I agreed softly. But as the pain quickly worsened, into something only one other person could understand. I knew it was more than just a normal headache.

O000o0o0o0o

"Sam!" Dean screamed as I buckled in his arms, the pain was an exploding cannon in my head, sending cannon balls bouncing around my skull.

I moaned loudly as Sam ran in, Bobby holding Riley close behind. "What the hell…? Andy!" I felt him grasp my other shoulder, trying to help Dean to help me stand.

I screamed as a searing pain gripped my temples, the room started to blur at the edges and the last thing I felt was my knees hitting the ground and the last thing I saw was Sam and Dean kneeling down to hold me up.

_Bright light. Flashing in a sequence. A blur of color. Another blur. A woman…with a British accent. A cat. Another blur of navy blues and white. A…a tiny, furry…something. What the hell was that? Coffee spilling, Sam tripping…a shoe. " __Kubrick, I'm not even sure he's human. War is coming…" Flashes of sound. "This boy is a part of it." __Gordon. "Track __him down, Kubrick. You'll come to see it, too." The words were calm, angry…determined. "Sam Winchester must die."_

I gasped loudly and collapsed against the boys. I panted and leaned my head back, the pain very slowly, began to fade.

"Andy? God, sweetheart, are you okay?" Dean asked worriedly, he tried shifting me so I was leaning against him.

I swallowed and looked over into Sam's panicked face. "Sam…" He frowned and looked at Dean. "Vision…G-Gordon." My eyes filled up with tears. "He wants to kill you."

O0o0o0o0o0o0o

"What the hell is going on, Bobby?" Dean fumed.

"Don't raise your voice at me, boy. I'm just as clueless as you are."

I heard Sam's feet pace the room as I laid out on the bed, my arms over my eyes. I adjusted my back so I was more comfortable and moved a little to look at the boys. Sam was jiggling Riley in his arms as he paced, while Dean was seated at the edge of the bed, glaring a little at Bobby, who was standing in the doorway, for his previous comment.

"I don't even understand, I mean…our visions came from the yellow eyed demon and he's dead." He kissed Riley's head gently. "So if they are not related to him, where are they coming from?"

I sighed softly. "Well, wherever this one was from," I sat up and groaned softly, having to lay back down. "It packed more of a painful punch than any other ones."

Dean scooted over and rested against the headboard next to me; he gently lifted me up and set me in between his legs. I leaned my back against his chest and rested my head back on his shoulder.

Bobby went into the bathroom and I heard the sink run. He came back out with a wet washcloth and gently rested it over my forehead. The heat from the washcloth un-knotted some of the headache and I moaned softly.

"You…are a saint Bobby."

He chuckled. "Not near a saint at all, Andy."

I smiled softly and breathed in and Dean kissed my cheek gently. "Can you tell us what you saw?"

I shook my head. "Noises and flashes." I looked up at Sam.

Sam sat down as well and gently held Riley against his chest. "Yeah, you don't get a whole lot to go on from them."

"Different from your dreams." Dean commented and I nodded.

He was right. I got a hell of a lot more from my dreams then I did from these painful visions. My dreams were like a full motion picture show while these visions were just like previews.

"Very different." I agreed quietly. "I did see…Gordon saying something to…I mean, I don't know who. I think…Gordon called him Kubrick." I looked at Bobby. "Recognize that name?"

Bobby sighed. "Yeah I do, a bunch of hunters came to see me about…a month ago. They wanted to know what had gone down with the Devil's Gate in Wyoming. Everyone thought Sam had something to do with it." I saw Sam swallow. "I put everyone straight."

I frowned. "It seems that Gordon is spinning your words. I mean, he was telling this Kubrick that Sam had something to do with the world going to hell. That Kubrick needed to track him down…and kill him." I swallowed, my voice breaking on the word 'kill'.

Sam leaned over and ran a hand through my hair, Dean watched him tentatively. "Well don't worry, because that's never going to happen. I'm not leaving you…" He looked up at Dean and swallowed. I could feel anger rolling off Dean in waves.

But he didn't say a word about it. "Look whatever this is, we'll figure it out. First, let's make sure Gordon is still in jail where we put him. Bobby?"

He nodded. "I could make a few calls."

Sam stood with Riley. "I'm going to feed her and put her down for a nap."

I watched him go towards the door. "Bottles are in the fridge." He nodded once and I heard him descend the stairs.

I swallowed as I felt Dean's lips in my hair. I knew why he was mad but I didn't dare bring it up. Sam had almost said, "I'm not leaving you…like Dean". He hadn't had meant it like he was trying to prove a point or trying to make Dean feel awful. It was just the naked truth.

Accident or no accident, Dean wasn't happy about it at all.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o

A cell phone was ringing, loud and right in my damn ear. I sighed softly and sat up in the backseat of the car. "I thought we were going down the street Dean, where's this diner?"

He frowned and looked at his cell phone and then looked at Sam. "It's not mine." Sam said, talking about the ringing cell phone.

"I thought it was, its farther I guess. Sorry did the cell wake you…? Where the hell…?" He paused. "It's dad's."

I frowned softly and watched Dean pull the car over and unlock the glove compartment.

"Dad's?" Sam asked and I leaned up in between the seats.

"Yes. I keep it charged up in case any of his old contacts call." Dean said, grabbing the cell.

Sam took it and flipped the phone opened. "Hello?" He frowned and looked at Dean, shrugging. "Yes, this is Edgar Casey."

I looked at Dean. "What did the caller ID say?"

He shrugged and I looked back at Sam.

Sam shook his head. "No, no. Don't call the police. I'll handle this myself. You know, can you just lock it back up for me? Great. You know, I don't have my book in front of me…"

He made his hand look like he was holding a pen and then waved its side to side for a moment, indication he needed a pen. I reached down into my bag and handed a pen and notepad to him.

"Do you have the address?" He wrote the address down as the person spoke to him on the phone. "Right. Thanks a lot." He hung up the phone and looked at Dean. "Did Dad ever tell you he kept a container at a storage place?"

"A storage place?" I asked confused. "Where?"

"Outside of Buffalo." Sam answered.

Dean shook his head and scoffed. "No way." I had to agree with his tone. John was a very private man, the damn job had a lot to do with it. It seemed unlike him to store a bunch of important items of his in the middle of nowhere where anyone could get in.

Sam nodded and looked at me and then Dean. "Yeah. And someone just broke into it."

I sighed and sat back. "Guess we're not going to the diner."

Dean restarted the car and smirked. "Please…we'll just go through the drive thru."

o0o00o0o0o0o0

review please :)


	8. Chapter 8: Bad Day at Black Rock Part 2

It's been a long time, believe me I know. I'm back at college, I went on vacation, I went to a supernatural convention, my mom was in the hospital…oy, and loads of shit went down that I just got tied up. Not to mention, my muse abandoned me. She'd come back and I'd be able to add a paragraph every now and then but…got this was the worst writers block I have ever had. And there's really nothing I can apologize for. I'm incredibly sorry it took me this long and here's a new chapter.

I promise, to all the faithful readers, that I will never take this long to update again and that I'll push through a writer's block if I have one.

Thanks to everyone who sent me a review or PMed me about the story and for keeping up on it.

I will NEVER give up on this series, no matter how long it takes me to update, I just want to make that clear. Regardless, won't take this long again.

Thanks everyone! Happy reading :)

O0o0o0o0o0o

Chapter 8: Bad Day at Black Rock Part 2

"Could you take it easy on the bumps Dean? I have ketchup back here." I groaned as he rolled over another bump and the fries sitting in my lap in their little container jumped up.

"I told you no ketchup! It's too messy." He glared at me through the review mirror and Sam smirked around taking a bite of cheeseburger.

I rolled my eyes and squeezed the ketchup packet gently and it squeezed out along one of the fries I held between my fingers. I popped it in my mouth. "Fries aren't any good without loads of ketchup…and I am sacrificing the 'load' part because I don't want to drip anything in your car."

Dean smirked. "Oh, so sorry you have to deal with a little serving of ketchup like normal people do when they eat fries."

Sam snorted and I glared at him. He raised his eyebrows at my glare and threw a napkin at me. I snatched it and set it down on my lap. "Coming from the person who has to have extra everything on their cheeseburger."

Dean shrugged. "What can I say; I like a lot of flavor on my burger. Sue me."

As Dean pulled into the lot with the storage facilities lined up, it kind of looked like a really big parking garage; I gathered my trash and put everything into the bag the cashier had given me the food in. I got out of the car and threw the bag away, I turned to watch the Winchesters get out of the car and close the doors almost simultaneously.

"So…should we take something in case?" I asked, walking up to the trunk.

"Doesn't hurt to be prepared." Dean commented as he opened the trunk and pocketed his keys.

He took out his favorite handgun; it was decorated white on the sides. It was a pretty gun…if that made sense. God I was in the business so long that I was calling handguns pretty.

Sam took out a gun as well and was about to hand me one until Dean intercepted him.

"Hey!" I pouted a moment and Dean smirked at my mouth. I rolled my eyes. "Why don't I get a gun?"

"You don't need one. We both have rifles, you'll be fine." I rolled my eyes again and Dean snorted. "You keep doing that they're gonna roll right outta your head."

I shoved him, but not hard enough that he dropped the gun in his hand. "Ass! How many times have you both had guns and I needed to save your asses?"

Dean and Sam looked at each other, then back at me and spoke at once. "Twice."

My mouth fell open a little and I crossed my arms over my chest and just shook my head. "You guys are freaks for even keeping track."

I turned and started to walk through the parking lot to the building with the elevator down to the storage rooms. I heard Dean and Sam laugh a little with each other before they both caught up and on both sides of me. Dean pushed the elevator button and the machine came to a screeching start. I winced softly as I heard the cart come up to our level. The doors shook open and I boarded first, Sam and Dean following me.

I swallowed and leaned against Dean as Sam pressed the button to go down.

Dean smirked softly and ran a hand down my back. "You still afraid of elevators?"

I looked up at him and glared. "I am not afraid of elevators! I just…prefer stairs for exercise."

Sam snorted and leaned against the wall next to us. "Right, right. Has nothing to do with the fact that one elevator, that one time—"

"That one elevator ruined me for life! I can't believe I was stuck in there for like an hour! The hotel had to call the fire department and everything."

"John and your dad were pissed." Dean shook his head and I frowned softly.

"I didn't even do anything. I mean, it was an accident. And as I recall, you," I poked his chest and he covered the spot I poked with his hand and pretended to be offended. "were the one who threw the ball we were playing with in that general direction and told me to get it! I wouldn't have even been on that elevator if it wasn't for you."

He snorted and the elevator came to a halt at the bottom floor. "After all this time you're still blaming me I see."

The doors tried to pull open on the designated bottom floor but only one successfully got all the way open. I squeezed through the door and Sam and Dean did the same. Course it took them both a moment. They were skinny but they had some bronze to them. And Sam was just so goddamn tall.

"Course I'm blaming you." I shivered as a cold wind whipped through what looked like a parking garage full of storage tanks. "Because it's usually your fault!"

Sam smirked softly at Dean and took off his cream colored jacket and held it out to me without a thought. I swallowed and looked up at him and the look on Dean's face as I took it in my hands and slipped it on. The silence filled up the parking garage scenery like humidity. It was thick and hard to breathe in. The small caring gestures Sam was providing, Dean did not seem to appreciate.

Not that Sam hadn't been doing these small little things all my life; getting doors, giving me his jacket, giving me his half of the ice cream when we were little, sharing his toys, or even now how he loaded my gun for me, or made sure I had the warmest shower by letting me go first. All these little things never seemed that important…until Dean only had a year or less to live. Now every little thing meant something to Dean. It would be one more thing Dean wouldn't get to do for me after he was gone.

I swallowed and zipped up the jacket and sighed softly. "Let's just go…okay?"

Dean shrugged and pretended he didn't know what I was talking about. "Yeah, sure. Let's go."

He put an arm around my back and walked with me, leading me down a storage container row that were numbered. We searched for John's number, Sam trailing behind us.

He gently squeezed my lower back and rubbed his fingers along my spine. I looked up at him and he turned his head a moment and pecked my lips, putting a damn sign that said "Mine" on my upper lip. I sighed softly and looked forward. I didn't feel like Sam was trying to flirt or whatever, like he had been a year ago. I think he was just…being Sam. If that made sense. He was sweet and he cared about me as a best friend. To be honest, I was kind of glad he was being like this with me…that meant that after Dean was gone I would know Sam would be here for me and Riley, no matter what. That I wouldn't be alone in the world; raising this little girl on my own.

My thoughts were broken when I heard Sam and Dean break the lock open on the storage unit. Dean slid the lock off and let it fall to the ground with a clatter while Sam pushed the door up and it noisily curled into the ceiling of the unit like a garage door would.

Once the door allowed us in, I raised my eyebrows at the sign on the floor. And all three of us knew pretty damn well what that star shaped sign was for.

"Devil's trap…no demons allowed." I muttered, stepping a bit closer. Sam stuck his arm out and I walked into it, I looked up at him as it prevented me to go forwards. I looked down at the floor to see what he was looking at.

"Blood…" He said softly.

I raised my eyebrows at the tripwire set up right in front of my left leg. "And a tripwire…how very John Winchester. No demons…" I followed the tripwire that was set up along a shotgun on a shelf a few feet away. "Or humans allowed."

Dean scoffed softly. "Whoever broke in got a buckshot in them."

Sam looked along the floor as we carefully moved further into the storage unit, making sure there were no other hidden surprises from the Winchester's dear old dad.

I winced softly as I thought about it and carefully stepped over the wire. "Hey, two sets of boot tracks, Dean."

He nodded as I walked over to him. "Two man job."

Sam looked around the dusty storage container as we started through it. It was mostly weapons and file cabinets, nothing I wouldn't suspect John Winchester to put into storage.

"So…would he work here, or something?" Sam asked, curiously he picked up a rife, dust covering the metal and making it look rusty.

I made a face. "I don't remember him mentioning anything like this."

Sam shined his flashlight onto some of the shelves, old knick-knacks and artifacts that could have been for anything were littering the surface. The desk I was at was covered in papers and I brushed some dust off the top layer to look at some of them.

"No way!" I exclaimed and Dean and Sam came over at the same time to see what I was holding up. It was a finger painting I had made in the third grade. It was mostly made up of blue and greens, I had tried to add red in there around the edges but the blending of the green made it look brown in some places. "I made this when I was in third grade!" I looked at Dean and beamed, I felt proud. "I can't believe it was in here…"

It made me feel important that John had kept something like this and put it in the storage container no one knew about. It gave me some sort of weird comfort.

Dean smiled at me and shook his head, kissing the bridge of his nose. "Van Gogh would be jealous as all hell, babe." I rolled my eyes and shook him off as he chuckled. "Especially since you still have both of your ears." He winked and I laughed, feeling Sam roll his eyes behind me.

He moved away when he thought I was going to shove him and looked around at some things near the desk I was at. I set the painting down and watched him pick up a small trophy; it looked like a small boy kicking a soccer ball.

Dean brushed off the dust on the bottom plaque. "1995."

Sam's ears seemed to perk at the year and he came up behind him, snatching up the trophy. He laughed and moved around some file cabinets to go where the boys were. I squeezed between them to see what Sam had taken from Dean.

"No way! No way! That's my division championship soccer trophy. I can't believe he kept this." I heard something in Sam's voice that I really never heard when he was speaking of his father. His tone sounded…admiring, grateful and something else I couldn't put my finger on.

I touched the top of the trophy, some dust pulling off and sticking to the pads of my fingers. He smiled at me and I smiled back. "I remember when you won that."

He raised his eyebrows. "You do?"

"Or…well maybe it wasn't that exact one. I remember you used to have a lot of trophies in your house. Baseball, soccer, track," I smirked. "You were a great sports player."

I saw a small tinge of blush darken his cheekbones as he smiled softly. "Thanks, Andy."

"You know, he probably kept it because it was probably the closest you ever came to being a boy." Dean snorted as he looked over on the desk again; I rolled my eyes as I looked at him. He said that like he hadn't heard all the stuff I just said about Sam.

"Sam did a lot of sports back then Dean, all you did was the cheerleaders." I sneered and Sam snorted, putting the trophy down.

Dean smirked at me. "Still jealous after all these years, Andy?" He winked and I rolled my eyes, turning to walk towards another part of the storage unit.

I vaguely heard Dean say something about a sawed-off and continued down past the walls of weapons and shelves filled with boxes and large file cabinets filled with files. I wondered if they were all filled, and if they were, how long it had taken John to fill them. What kind of files could take up tons of file cabinets? Papers on demons, witches, ghouls and other creepy crawlies that went bump in the night? Stuff like his journal that he had passed down to Dean and Sam? Or was it files that pertained to the normal life he once had? Mortgages, house payments, old car bills and photo albums.

I saw a heavy door around the side of a few file cabinets and moved towards it, intending on opening it. Unfortunately, as my life usually goes, my foot caught on something under one of the cabinets and I tripped. I fell forward, trying to break my fall and successfully landed against the side of a very big file cabinet. It swayed and I squealed as the cardboard box on top toppled over on me, covering me in dust and papers.

I heard scrambling and suddenly Dean and Sam were right next to me, pulling papers off me.

"You okay?" Dean's hand brushed dust bunnies off my hair.

I sneezed in response and groaned softly, my sinuses lighting up like a wildfire. I rubbed my nose.

Dean chuckled softly and gently cupped my cheek. "I'm guessing that's a yes?"

I sniffed and sneezed again, Sam smiling out of the corner of my eye as he gathered the papers to put back into the box that had fallen. "Bless you."

"I tripped over something."

"Graceful as always, huh Core?"

I shoved Dean and since he was crouching down the force knocked him back on his ass. Sam grinned at his somewhat dazed brother and, he probably should have seen this coming, Dean kicked his leg out and the same thing to Sam.

So there we were all sitting on the ground in an old, dust filled John Winchester storage unit. Huh. I never would have thought about that when I woke up that morning.

Sam reached over Dean and pulled out a box under the file cabinet my foot was near, the perpetrator for tripping me in the first place.

He settled the dusty, flower printed box down between us and opened the lid. He bent over to look at the contents, sliding what looked like old photographs out of the box. Sam smiled softly.

"Andy, these are of you."

I smiled softly and move to sit on his right while Dean leaned a little to the left to look at the picture Sam held in his hand.

"Really?" I asked, touching the edge of the photo gently, some dust sticking to the pads of my fingertips.

Dean grinned, pointing to a little baby being held in the arms of an older woman. "Yeah, that's you."

I smiled softly. "Aw, I was so cute! Is that a pink baby bonnet on me?"

Sam snorted. "Great fashion sense that carried over into adult life..." A bit too sarcastic for me. I smirked before I elbowed him in the side and he smiled at me.

"But…who's the old woman?"

Dean took the photo and held it closer to his face. "I think that's your…grandma Amy?"

He handed the picture to me and I looked at her and smiled at her warm and smiling face. I gently touched the photo, tracing her wrinkles on her face, which if I had an opinion, looked to be smile lines instead of age ones.

"I never knew I had a grandma Amy…"

Sam frowned. "Your dad never told you about her before he passed?

Dean licked his lower lip as I shook my head no. "Might make sense. She moved to Texas before you reached your third birthday. Least…" He scratched the back of his head. "That's what my dad told me."

I frowned now too, looking at other photos in the box. "I don't understand. Why wouldn't my dad mention I had a grandmother and when he died, why didn't John tell me I had a living relative in Texas?"

I saw Dean shrug his one shoulder out of the corner of my eye. "I don't know."

I bit my lip, looking over some other photos. Most of them were me as a baby. Playing in the yard, having tea parties with my dad, my grandmother and my mother holding me at the hospital the day I was born, about two or three were from when I was older.

"From my scrap book!" I grinned and pulled the photo out from the bottom of the stack. The edges were warn and a bit torn, the side on the right crumpled a bit. "Look Sam, me and you."

Sam looked over my shoulder and smiled. "God, my hair looks so awkward."

I laughed and gently touched the photo, with care and affection. "It just looks weird because you had just got out of the water."

Dean was curious now; I could feel his eyes on me. "Where are you guys at?"

"Lake Eerie," Sam answered Dean before I could. He looked over the photo again, smiling at my red and white polka dot bikini and his bright blue swim trunks. "What were you, thirteen?" He was now looking at me.

I shrugged, taking the photo. We were standing right in the water, waiting for a wave to crash into our legs.

"I guess so. Maybe? I should have written the year down on the back. All I remember was that your dad was away and…my dad wanted to take us to the beach."

"Oh right, right." Dean nodded. "I got sun poisoning, right? That was such a son of a bitch."

I pouted and Dean grinned, touching my lower lip with his thumb. I smiled softly. "I was so bummed you couldn't go anywhere with us. The beach, the pier, the festival…"

Sam nodded. "But we did bring you back ice cream."

I grimaced. "Which he successfully threw up all over the bed."

"Yeah, mint chocolate chip vomit all over the white sheets. Maids were so not happy about that." Dean nodded, groaning as he remembered. "Never went out in the sun without sun block after that."

I shook my head and swallowed. "You know, why would John keep this stuff and not tell us? I mean, I really would have liked these photos after my mom died." I looked at the container. "After my dad died." I added softly. "I know we left in a hurry after that, hitting the road and all but…I can't help but think that these would have helped somehow. Or at least kept my mind busy with putting together another scrap book."

I felt Sam's arm swoop around my shoulders and he rubbed my arm gently. "Well at least you have them now, something to show Riley when she grows up."

I looked up at him and smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah."

I swallowed as we locked eyes for a moment, his brilliant eyes shining against mine. I'd put all the pictures of Dean in there too, the only thing I'd have of his after…just after. Wouldn't lose them or lock them away in a storage container forever. Riley would see these as soon as she could comprehend them, could understand where her family came from. Who her dad was; because after all the time after…Dean is gone, Sam would be as close to a father that she would ever have. And even though I was highly grateful that Sam would chose that role in her life, I would want Riley to know her true father, the one she'd become so attached to even when she was still inside me. She deserved to know.

"You okay?" Sam asked me softly and I swallowed, looking away and rubbing under my eyes.

"Yeah, dust in my eyes."

Dean cleared his throat and Sam's arm dropped from my shoulder as he stood, he helped me up and I took the tin of photos with me, settling them against my side.

I looked around the storage container, taking in the various weapons and landmines.

"They weren't after weapons or…landmines." I swallowed, running my finger over a barrel of a gun. "I guess they knew what they wanted."

"Hey…Dean, look at this." I turned to look at Sam's back, Dean joining him on the other side of the room. I moved to where they were standing and loomed next to Dean's side. There were a ton of boxes in many various sizes.

"See these symbols? That's binding magic…these are curse boxes." Sam looked at Dean, who was leaning closer to look at one of the boxes.

"Curse boxes –- they're supposed to keep the evil mojo in, right?"

I nodded softly, remembering a reading I did on Pandora when I was a teenager. I should really brush up on all the stuff John and my dad had made me read over the years. Re-reading would only help in any situation I would need to know information but…where was all that reading material now? Burned down in John's house? Left in the very back of the Impala or discarded accidently at a hotel we'd stayed at? Who knows….they might have been in the storage unit here. God only knows what John and maybe my dad had been keeping in those file cabinets.

"Kind of like a Pandora deal?" I asked and Sam nodded his head once, looking up at the top shelf, which he was almost just as tall as. Out of the six shelves, Dean any my head only met the fifth one…barely. And Dean was even taller than I was.

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "They're built to contain the power of the cursed object."

I frowned and touched one of the boxes. "This is dangerous stuff. Curse boxes are unpredictable…"

"Dad's journal did mention a whole bunch of stuff, you know? Dangerous hexed items, fetishes - he never did say where they ended up." Dean mused, looking down the row of black, wooden boxes.

"Yeah." Sam grimaced. "This must be his toxic waste dump."

I raised my eyebrows. "How thoughtful. He should have told us all this stuff was here. Now we have to worry about those chuckleheads that broke in and took something…and judging by the amount of stuff here, there is now way we'll be able to…"

I looked on shelf four, noticing something. "Fuck."

Sam and Dean turned their heads to look at me.

"One of the boxes is gone…" I ran my finger through the dust between the shelves and then through a neatly pressed box shape in the dust…where a box had been, preventing dust from getting underneath it.

I felt Dean lean over my shoulder and watch my finger before I pulled back. "Well, maybe they didn't open it…"

How optimistic.

O0o0o0o0o

It took us twenty minutes to figure out who broke in. Luckily, the art of getting the footage off of a security camera was so well practiced by the three of us it took us less than ten. The other ten minutes was from driving, so all and all, the case was moving pretty fast…that is as long as the chuckleheads who stole the curse box hadn't opened it. But then again, how lucky was that really?

Dean pulled to a stop outside of a grungy looking apartment, turning the engine off. He peaked his head out the window to look at the back of a car.

"Connecticut. Last three digits, 8-8-0."

I looked at the sheet of paper and leaned up between the seats. "Yep. That's them."

Dean shook his head, a look of amusement and irritation on his face all at once as he pulled out the car keys. "Should have blacked out the plates before they parked in front of the security camera."

I smiled and got out of the car, going to the trunk to get out a gun. I handed Dean his special 1911 white and silver engraved handgun. He smiled as I put the gun in his hands, his fingers brushing my palm.

"Your dad gave you that one right?" I asked, sticking the gun in the back of my jeans. I heard Sam move the weapons around in the trunk, getting his own out and closing it.

He nodded. "When I killed my first werewolf."

I shook my head, rolling my eyes. "Oh right, how could I forget all the bragging?"

I laughed as he clipped my shoulder with his own as we started walking towards the apartment complex. We quietly slipped inside and made our way up to the third floor, looking for the right room. It was easy getting the room number, one call from Bobby posing as the Health department scared the manager right into giving out the room number for the 'highly intelligent' burglars Wayne and Grossman.

I cocked my gun as Sam picked the lock, shoving the instruments back into his back pocket as Dean gently nudged the door open.

"Royal flush! Grossman, that's the second royal flush in eight hands. I can't lose. I mean, really. I can't lose." I heard Wayne yell, slapping down what I was guessing as cards on a wooden table. I glanced at Dean; he motioned me to go up against the far wall, Sam following in step.

Sam moved quietly along the wall, shoulder to shoulder with me. "Maybe this thing really works. You know what I'm saying? I'll tell you one thing, there's no way in hell we're handing it over to that stuck-up bitch." I frowned softly. They stole the thing to sell it to another buyer? "Not after all we've been through. Let's go. Let's get out of here, let's go have some fun."

If that wasn't a queue, I didn't know what was. All at once, Dean, Sam and I raised our guns, cocking them and aiming them towards Wayne and Grossman as we turned the corner.

"Freeze! Freeze! Nobody move!" Dean yelled, pointing the gun at Wayne, who had a lovely patched up shoulder from the buckshot courtesy of John Winchester.

Sam pointed towards Grossman, who was slowly getting off the couch. "Don't move!" He put his hands up; dropping some cards on his lap as he slowly rose from the couch. "Stop!"

He froze as Sam's warning hung in the air. I looked on the table, past the cards and the bloody gauze. "All right, give us the box. And please tell me that you didn't…"

I heard Sam swore and I looked to him for a brief instant. "Oh, they did."

I bit my lower lip as Dean didn't hesitate slamming Wayne against the far wall, swearing. "You opened it?"

"Are you guys cops?" I could see Wayne starting to panic and I slowly moved towards the half open box on the table. I opened the lid as Wayne repeated his question.

"What's in the box?" Dean asked me, Sam's gun still aimed at Grossman.

Wayne gestured to the table, right next to the box. I frowned. "What the hell is that thing? A rabbit's foot?"

Before anyone could answer me, Wayne punched Dean. Dean swore, heading backwards and dropping his gun. I yelped as the gun went off, the bullet ricocheting around the room, hitting a lamp and exploding the glass base to pieces. I dove for the gun, just as Dean stood to get punched again, landing right back on me. I gasped and winced as the weight of Dean's body collided with me into the floor, the gun sliding across the floor from under me.

Sam tried going for it but Grossman pushed him back, knocking him over the table. The rabbit's foot flew off the table, landing God knows where. Dean groaned, trying to roll off of me.

"God, Andy, are you okay?"

I grunted in response as he gripped my shoulders, lifting me off the ground a little, my ribs aching in response.

"I think…" I noticed the gun was inches away from us and nudged Dean as I tried scrambling for it. He got the idea and tried too, after all, two people after the same gun was better than one right? Wrong.

Wayne got there first, even though he seemed so much farther away. How lucky was that? I tried tripping Wayne to get him out of the way and drop the gun but he just ended up tackling into Dean as soon as Dean stood.

I winced. "Oh God Dean, sorry!"

I heard Sam grunt and gasped as I saw Grossman kneeling over him, choking him. I scrambled up as quickly as I could and jumped on Grossman's back.

"Get off him!" I punched him hard in shoulder and he threw me off easily, I landed back against the couch and knocked my head into wooden panel right beneath the cushions. I moaned softly, feeling the back of my head. I winced and saw white and black spots filling my eyesight.

I heard Sam grunt again, shifting under the weight of Grossman. I saw through the haze that Sam had grabbed something on the floor, a piece of paper? Or maybe it was the rabbit's foot. Whatever it was, Sam gained his momentum and kicked Grossman hard, sending him flying back.

"Dean! I got it!" I heard Sam exclaim as I leaned up, holding the back of my head.

"No, you don't." Wayne commented, coolly, aiming Dean's gun at Sam's head.

I gasped and tried to get up but I couldn't make it. Wayne had already pulled the trigger, Sam squeezing his eyes shut, bracing himself. And nothing. I breathed out, afraid to feel relief. I saw Wayne try again but Sam had realized no shot was coming from the jammed gun, he went forward to knock him out but Wayne was accomplishing that for him. He backed right over my leg, tripping backwards into the wall, knocking himself out as his head collided with the wall.

"Andy!"

I turned to Dean's voice, as Grossman aimed a gun at me. Which I thought was kind of ridiculous; I had didn't even have the rabbit's foot. But regardless Grossman lost his balance, falling back into a bookshelf of books. The gun went flying and I wouldn't have believed this…even though I saw it happening. Actually, I still didn't believe it, but Sam caught it perfectly, easily, soundlessly.

Dean ran over to my side, sliding his arm around my waist, trying to help me up. I grunted as my ribs protested. Sam came to my other side, helping me to my feet.

"You alright?"

I just nodded at Sam, nothing was broken. Lots of bruises tended to be a daily occurrence in our line of work. I'd survive. "That was a lucky break." I answered instead, my forehead creased at the part of a furry mongrel in his hand. "Is that a rabbit's foot?"

Sam nodded, holding it up. "Uhm…I think it is."

"Gross…poor bunny."

Dean chuckled softly at my pout and ran his hand over my lower back. "We should call Bobby; see if he knows anything about dad and his curse boxes."

**I went over to the knocked over table and bent over it to pick up the box from the floor. "Good plan, let's get out of here before ****tweedledum and tweedledee ****wake up."**

O0o0o0o

"Just let me see them, Andy."

"Sam…you try to lift my shirt again and I will kick your ass through the window of this car."

He chuckled. "I doubt that. Come on, I got an ice pack and I can already tell you have them bruised."

I groaned softly and turned around to put my back to him, lifting my shirt a little. I could feel the back of my ribs flare up a little as Sam prodded them.

"This gonna be a regular thing for you?"

I turned my head to look at him. "What do you mean? Goddamn, where the hell is Dean doing in there?"

He had disappeared into a grocery store ten minutes ago and hadn't come back yet. Which of course, Sam had noticed me groaning in the back of the car, fucking ribs. How many times was I going to bruise these goddamn things before they just gave up on me?

"Your ribs getting—"

"Ow!" I turned my head and glared at him. "Easy!"

He smiled softly and placed the ice pack on the black and blue patch on my side, upper part of my ribs. "Sorry. Your ribs getting kicked, punched…"

"Hit, bumped or thrown into something? Yeah, my ribs have been taking some beatings lately." I swallow and wince softly as Sam rested his hand on my side, letting the ice pack numb some of the initial pain.

I swallowed as silence seemed to envelope the car, the only sound was Sam and my breathing and the crinkling of the ice pack bag. "Are you…worried?"

I could feel Sam frown. "What do you mean?"

"About Dean…and…you know a year." I swallowed again. "Less than a year."

"I'm scared for Dean really." He ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm scared too." I nodded softly. "I'm scared of how Riley will turn out, I'm scared that…sadness will tear us apart." I looked down at my hands, lacing the fingers in and out after a few moments.

He touched my hand as I turned around. I leaned the ice pack against the back door and then leaned back against the ice pack, letting it rest on my ribs. His thumb ran across my knuckles.

"I promised I wasn't going to go anywhere. And I meant that. Dean…" He looked out the window and I glanced too, seeing him approaching the car from a distance, a plastered grin on his face. "He made me promise to look after you." I looked him in the eyes. "I mean, I had already planned on it but…" He shrugged. "He made me promise. To look after you. You and Riley. Keep you safe."

I bit my lower lip hard, trying not to tear up on the spot.

"And I will Andy. You have my word." He nodded.

I leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Sam."

He smiled softly and blush ever so slightly bloomed on his cheeks. Dean opened the car door and looked at us. I smiled at him.

"What were you doing in there?" I pulled the ice pack out from behind me and got out of the car, he stood as I got out and Sam followed.

He held up lottery tickets, grinning.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Dean, come on."

"What?" I came around the side and took a card out of Dean's hands to look it over. He snatched it back, regardless my pout. "Don't pout at me missy. You're not the one with the lucky charms."

I smirked. "That's not what you were saying last night." I winked.

He chuckled and leaned down to place a kiss on the hollow of my throat. Sam took the cards from his hands and he wrapped his arms around my waist, having free hands now. He rubbed the back of my waist gently as I leaned into his chest.

"Hey, that was _my _gun he was aiming at Andy's head. My gun don't jam. So, that was a lucky break. Not to mention, them taking themselves out, also a lucky break." Dean corrected Sam's speculation face. "So, scratch one. Come on, Sam. Scratch and win!"

I giggled softly as Sam rolled his eyes and scratched away with a quarter from his pocket. "Dean, it's gotta be cursed somehow." I bit my lip as he handed the card back to Dean. "Otherwise, Dad wouldn't have locked it up._"_

I leaned over to look at the lottery ticket and gaped. "Twelve-hundred dollars. You just won twelve-hundred dollars." I laughed loudly and cheered, Dean chuckled and whooped.

Dean handed him another ticket "I don't know, man. Doesn't seem that cursed to me."

Sam sighed. "Yeah, not yet. There has to be some supernatural backlash to this…"

"Yeah," I agreed. "Isn't there always? But for now…win us some more money. Riley needs some new jumpers."

Dean snorted. "Yeah, and I'd like to buy that subscription to BustyAsianBeauties…"

I shoved him and he laughed, pulling himself closer to me, trying to kiss all over my face as I laughed and tried pushing him away.

Dean had barely a year left. But in these little moments, it felt like we had all the time in the world.


	9. Chapter 9: Bad Day at Black Rock Part 3

Review Please :) will get the next part up ASAP. I hate school work ):

O0o0o0o0o0

Chapter 9: Bad Day at Black Rock Part 3

I closed my eyes as I leaned my head back under the shower head, the pounding hot water rinsing the shampoo from my hair. I breathed in and caught whiffs of lavender and jasmine from the shampoo I was using.

I hummed a tune softly, trying to remember the lyrics to the song.

"You got a nice white dress and a party on your confirmation…" I sang, running the soap suds over my skin.

I hummed the rest of the verse, trying to remember what words came next. The song had just been on the radio in the room Dean and I were sharing in Bobby's house, but for the life of me I couldn't recall the words. I guess I had been kind of pre-occupied, I had been gathering my shower stuff while Dean was trying to shush a very cranky Riley.

She had been taking a nap in the crib near Bobby's desk when we had come back to check with him about the rabbit's foot but as soon as the front door closed she woke up, crying and cranky as ever.

I sighed as I ran my fingers through my wet locks. Right before I reached for the conditioner I heard the bathroom door creak open. I looked at the shower curtain, trying to pick out the dark shape moving towards the tub.

Dean poked his head into the shower, smiling at me. I grinned at him.

"You singing Billy Joel, Andy?"

I blushed. "How could you even hear me, the door was closed…"

Dean's smile grew wider. "You sing louder than you think," He winked at me, "Especially when you're in the shower."

I splashed water at his face by flicking my finger tips at him. He chuckled and opened the shower curtain a little. I was about to protest, Bobby _hated_ when we got water on his bathroom floor. He said the water seeped into the molding between the tub and the floor and caused mold and rotted wood. He threatened that one of these days we'd be showering and the goddamn tub would fall through the floor.

The protest died on my lips as I saw Dean standing there in just his boxers holding Riley upright in his arms, she was only in her diaper. Dean took one of her little hands in his and smiled, gently kissing her cheek.

"Look who finally calmed down." Dean cooed, smiling at me as Riley gurgled.

I chuckled and reached out to touch her other hand, waving it up and down a little. "Aw, yay. Huh Riley? Dean make you feel all better?" And she did seem completely better, she was wide awake and very calm; I didn't understand how Dean could have such an effect on people.

Dean smiled softly, running his nose over her tiny knuckles of the hand he was holding.

"She just needed to be fed, so luckily we had some breast milk in the fridge, and a new diaper." Riley made a cooing noise and Dean grinned, kissing her nose. "That's right! Daddy's got you all better!"

I chuckled softly at how fatherly Dean could be. If someone would of came up to him four years ago and told him he would be a father, and pretty damn good one…he would have laughed his ass off. Or have gotten insanely creeped out and try to disprove the notion of cutting down on the amount of sex he had with randoms. Each situation would have been probable. Hell, he probably would have done both in the same night.

Dean's goals before we met up with Sammy at Stanford had never centered on being a father figure or having a family. It was just the job, all about the hunt and saving people, the family business. Maybe the idea was in him even before hitting road with Sam, John's example of how to live life engrained in Dean since he was old enough to remember.

"How bout we get a shower with mommy, huh?" Dean asked Riley, waiting a moment like she was actually going to respond.

I smiled. "That sounds like a great idea."

I turned towards the showerhead and leaned down to fiddle with the knobs, turning the cold water up ever so slightly so that the water wasn't too hot for Riley.

I peeked my head past the curtain and looked through the bathroom doorjamb to see Dean gently set Riley down on the bed to remove her fairly new and clean diaper. He came back into the bathroom and slowly handed her over to me. I smiled widely and held her close my body, my back towards the soft stream of water. Some water splashed off my back and sprayed Riley's skin with a gentle mist. Her little hands reached out and touched the water droplets sliding down my shoulders. I placed a kiss on her forehead as Dean withdrew his boxers and stepped in the shower, pulling the curtain closed.

"Here I'll take her." Dean said, running his hands through his hair. He crooned softly as I passed her into his arms, muscles flaring as he flexed to hold her close and somewhat tightly to him. "Such a big girl, huh?"

I chuckled and leaned down to place a kiss on her belly, her feet jerking a little against Dean's chest.

"She loves to eat, just like her dad." Dean beamed, clearly proud. "Just wait till she gets to solid foods…"

He trailed off, swallowing and my smile slowly faded from my face as I stood.

Not even a full year. Seven months? Eight or maybe nine? I didn't want to actually count. I knew it wasn't as much time as I wanted to believe it was. Baby food obviously…but that wasn't what Dean was talking about when he said solid food. The simple act of finding out what his daughter's favorite cheeseburger would be, and if he shared that same opinion, was something Dean would never been able to do. Because he would be gone.

I swallowed and closed my eyes a moment. God, could we not just have a perfect and loving family moment without this goddamn deal mucking up the works? Was that not possible? It was very painful to realize that it was hard to do one without the other one lurking in the back of my mind; like waiting for the other shoe to drop. Never really understood that expression until right this very moment, where it was slapping me in the face.

"Andy?" His voice barely above the sound of the water. "You okay?"

I sighed shakily, tears coming down my face and luckily I didn't think he could tell with my face already wet from the shower.

"M'fine." I managed, voice somewhat choked.

My eyes opened to look at him and before he had the chance to respond, Riley's lower lip started wobbling, her large hazel doe eyes filling with unshed tears. She gave a small whimper, a warning sign that a huge display of waterworks was about to happen.

"Uh oh…" Dean's face was priceless, he looked terrified. He always did hate it when girls cried; he was powerless against it and never knew what to do. No wonder crying when I was littler always worked like a charm on him.

"What's wrong baby?" I sniffled, going towards her. I cupped her cheek. "You cold?"

She let out an ear bending sob, tears plopping down her adorable cheeks. Dean moved and switched places with me, not waiting to consider another option. He turned to the side a little, the stream hitting his chest and belly. The water bounced gently onto Riley's legs and her stomach; her cries calming down just a little.

"Shhhh…" Dean shushed softly, jiggling her a little up and down in his arms. "It's okay peanut, you're okay."

I grabbed the pink and fuzzy washcloth hanging from the shower head and wet it, squeezing out the excess water. I poured some body wash, smelled like cinnamon and vanilla—ironically just like Sam and Dean meshed together into one—and put it under the water one more time.

I took one of Riley's hands and ran the cloth over her fingers, washing each one with care and affection.

Her eyes watched my every move, her crying fit turning into hiccups and soft sniffles.

I smiled softly and did the same thing with her other hand and then her tummy. I worked my way down until I reached her toes, washing each one slowly, contemplating what color nail polish she'd want to paint them when she was older…or if she'd want to even paint them at all.

"There we go." I washed her chest and her arms, moving the washcloth over her shoulders and neck.

Dean smiled softly, leaning forward to place a kiss on my forehead as I leaned back. I turned to rinse the washcloth clean. Dean stepped forward a little, the water rinsing Riley. I ran the washcloth back over her skin, getting the soapy suds that the water stream had missed.

She cooed again and I shook my head. "That waterworks scene came out of nowhere." I gently tapped her nose with my finger.

Dean chuckled softly. "Maybe she was just sad because you were."

I smiled and then something hit me. "Wait…do you think…"

Dean's eyes met mine. "What?"

"Do you actually think she felt…what I felt?"

He frowned and looked at Riley, who was staring up at him. He smiled softly, placing a kiss on her head.

"You mean like…like you and Sam feeling?"

**I swallowed. "It's possible isn't it? I mean, what if…whatever ****Azazel ****did to me can be passed on in some way." I started to feel frantic. "Or if it's not…visions or whatever, but something else supernaturally freaky? Heightened senses, empathy—"**

"Have you been browsing the internet in the wee hours highly caffeinated again?"

I looked at him, aghast for one whole moment and glared. I would have hit him if he hadn't been holding Riley.

"Dean!"

He chuckled. "I'm sorry! Baby…" He smirked as my mouth started to twitch into a familiar stance. "Don't pout at me, listen, I mean it's a bit of a stretch don't you think? We never heard about anything like that before while we were researching the yellow eyed demon."

My combination of a frown and a pout was still firmly in place. "But it's not like we can ask anyone else on the topic! Sam and I are the only ones we know of that were his favorite. And who knows how many people he enrolled—"

"Okay, now you're making it sound like a college…or one of those weird sororities."

He barely put a dent in my rant. "—that we don't know about because they weren't his favorites and pulled into that God forsaken crap hole where Sam and I had to fight to stay alive!" I ran out of breath, taking a breather a moment while Dean watched me like I had eight eyes. "Which Sam didn't even do!"

"Yeah, that you for that very morbid reminder."

I groaned, smacking my hand over my face as I heard Dean chuckle softly. I felt his lips lean into my hair a moment and then pull back.

"Riley, this freaking out your mother is doing is called a nervous breakdown…"

"I'm glad you think this is funny, Dean." I mumbled, picking up all the humor in his voice.

He sighed and tilted my chin with one hand, gently passing Riley with his other arm. I took her into my arms and held her close, kissing the side of her head. Dean leaned forward and wrapped his arms around me, cuddling Riley and I comfortably against his chest.

"Listen to me. Yellow Eyes is dead, and all his goddamn freaky shit went with it. You and I both know that."

"Yeah, that's true for Sam." I whispered. "He hasn't had any nightmares or visions or anything since you killed it…but I'm different. I still had dreams; I still have visions, Dean. That has to mean something."

He cupped my face and I shrugged softly, swallowing thickly. "I'm scared." I admitted.

He leaned closer and kissed me softly. "There is no need to be scared, you understand? Sam, Bobby and I will figure this out. Okay?" He waited until I nodded before he moved to put his arm back around me. "Even if it's the last thing I do."

I swallowed and nodded again, resting my forehead on his shoulder for a moment. It might very well be the last thing he did.

O0o0o0o0

I came downstairs in a simple jeans and teal t-shirt combo, not yet putting on my shoes. Dean had gotten out of the shower first, taking Riley with him to dry and dress her. I ran a hand through my dark, wet locks and turned the corner into the living room, nearly heading into a pacing Sam. He stopped me by putting his hands on my arms, smiling softly and pulling them back a moment later. He started pacing in a new streak, avoiding me completely.

I saw Dean on the couch, rocking Riley. I smiled at him and motioned to Sam. "What's with—"

"It's not a luck charm." Bobby interrupted my question from his desk, coming into the room with a dusty book in his hand. "It's a curse. A Baton Rouge conjure-woman made it to kill people, Sam."

"Ah, the rabbits foot." I mumbled, watching Dean stand up with Riley and slowly pass her to Sam.

"You touch it, you own it. You own it; sure, you get a run of good luck to beat the devil. But you lose it, that luck turns. It turns so bad that you're dead inside a week." Bobby scolded, putting the book down with a thump.

I winced. "We didn't know, Bobby."

Sam sighed and held Riley close to his chest, jiggling her gently as he paced. "So, I won't lose it, Bobby."

"_Everybody _loses it." Bobby reiterated and I sighed now too, rubbing my face as Dean passed me and went into the kitchen. I watched Sam walk with Riley, the rabbit's foot bobbing up and down in his pants pocket as he moved.

"Okay," I got up and stood in front of Sam and kissed Riley's cheek. "How do we break the curse?"

Bobby sighed, leafing through the pages of one of his dusty books. "I don't know if you can." He sounded frustrated, tired. I felt sorry for him, which he wouldn't have taken lightly. I just felt bad he always had to pick up our asses when we got them buried so deep in shit that we couldn't find them. He looked like he needed some sleep. Or at least some coffee.

"Let me look through my library and make some calls."

Dean came back in and set some coffee on Bobby's desk, who barely looked up. He merely grunted in thanks.

Dean smiled at me as he walked over. "Bobby said we should lay low until he figures this out."

Dean nodded. "I heard. We should go get some dinner, I'm starving."

I sighed softly and looked at Sam, who was talking softly to Riley and tickling her belly as he did so. I smiled at the tender moment.

"Yeah, food sounds good."

Sam smiled at me and jiggled Riley. "Wanna get her car seat?"

I shook my head. "No, I don't think she should go."

"Why not?"

I turned to Dean. "Because if our luck goes sour I don't want Riley getting caught in the crossfire. She can stay with Bobby; I know she's safe here."

He nodded softly. "Yeah, good plan." He took her from Sam's arms and gently laid her down in her crib next to Bobby's desk. He laid her protective blanket over her and smiled. "Later peanut."

Riley cooed in response.

I smiled and looked at Sam, who grinned and winked. I chuckled and shook my head.

"Not even with that luck on your side Sammy."

He just laughed and followed me out to the car.

Oo0o0o0o0

Dean held open the door for me as I walked through to Biggerson's Diner. I smiled softly at him as Sam followed in suit, letting the door close.

"Don't worry." Dean tried calming Sam down again. "Bobby will find a way to break it."

They had had this same conversation in the car at least eight times. Sam had gotten very antsy on the way to the diner, worried to all hell about this rabbit's foot and losing it. The point was that we would just have to wait to see if Bobby found a way to break this damn curse. Until then we had to sit tight and made sure that the rabbit's foot stayed in one place: Sam's pocket. And there were only so many times Dean could make "ants in your pants" jokes before Sam would strangle him while he was driving…so thank God we were at the diner.

"Until then," I looked to Dean and grinned. "I say we hit Vegas, pull a little _Rain Man. _You can be Rain Man…" I looked at Sam and he ruffled my hair and I squealed, trying to pull away.

Dean chuckled as he approached the podium where the manager was standing. "Hi. Table for two, please."

I jumped as the owner yelled out, "Congratulations!"

Suddenly balloons and streamers along with many shiny confetti strips fell from the ceiling. The owner rushed at us with a huge check that I only saw on those channels where fashion shows were presenting big checks with large amounts of money to a charity. Those damn stations always fizzed out on television when I tried to watch them.

"You are the one-millionth guest of the Biggerson's restaurant family!" The owner cheered and I heard one of those little horns that people blew when it was midnight on New Year's Eve.

I loosely held onto the check with Sam and Dean, glancing at them confused. Sam was disoriented…Dean was grinning. I rolled my eyes and snorted. What a dork.

I winced as a flash went off from an employee taking a picture of us with the check. I looked up at Sam, who was glaring at Dean's grin. I chuckled. "This is your fault Lucky Charms…" He looked at me and smirked softly.

"You think you're cute with these little nicknames…you're not."

I smiled widely. "I'm adorable…now let's get some free food."

The owner literally bounced. "That's the spirit!"

Dean looked at me as we got a table. "Where the hell are we going to put this check?"

I chuckled. "I'm sure Bobby would be thrilled if we displayed that in his living room."Sam slid inside the booth and I looked up at Dean. "I'm gonna go the bathroom." I kissed his cheek. "Order me an Iced Tea…or no! Better yet, hot chocolate!"

Dean smirked and slid into the booth opposite of Sam and tried to wrap an arm around my waist. "Come on, I already saw you pee in the shower before we left for the diner…"

"Ew Dean! I did not!" I took my jacket off and threw it at him and pulled free of his hold. I smiled at him and turned to go to the bathroom, running straight into our waitress.

_Swing set. Red eyes. Swing set_. I stumbled back, feeling someone shift behind me. I backed into his chest. _Swing set swinging._ _Blending of color; like pastels. Loud ringing noises._ _Empty swing; little girl, brown hair, doe eyes. Huge tears cascading down her face. Back up her face. Into her teary eyes. Swinging. Empty swing._

I groaned softly, holding my head. I could feel Sam behind me, supporting my weight. "Hey, whoa, you alright?"

I looked up at him and saw Dean get up as well, coming up the other side of me.

"I'm so sorry!" Our waitress, I looked at her nametag; Kary. "I wasn't looking where I was going…"

I shook my head. "No, no, my fault." I swallowed; huge head rush. The room was spinning.

She smiled, her short cut hair poking at her cheeks. "Alright, well, I'll be with your table in a moment alright?"

She didn't wait for an answer, heading straight for the kitchen. Dean touched my arm. "What the hell was that?"

I frowned and ran a hand through my hair. "I…have no idea."

O0o0o0o0

"It was so weird. I mean visions or whatever you want to call them is weird in general but that was just…beyond my regular cup of weird."

"So…you said it was like watching one of those old black and white movies. You think you saw the past?"

I growing more and more frustrated, my pounding headache not helping. I couldn't help it. This was seriously the last straw. I was so tired of having these goddamn things and not knowing where they came from or what it meant.

"I don't know Sam. If I knew, do you think I'd be asking you two what the hell it all meant?"

Dean cleared his throat rather awkwardly and the conversation dropped off from there. I heard Dean mumble "sour puss" a few times before I threw the ketchup lid at him.

I picked at my French fries as Dean devoured his burger; his newly found silence refreshing. I watched as Kary filled up another tables round of coffee and shook my head as Sam waved his hand in front of my face. I looked up at him.

"What?"

"Stare any harder and you'll bore a hole into her."

I glared at him and then turned away. I looked across the table at Dean, who looked like he had the same questioning look Sam was giving me. I tried to ignore both of them to no avail.

"I can't stop thinking about…before, alright? I mean, what the hell was that?" I leaned back into the seat and rubbed my forehead a moment. "Why does this keep happening to me?"

"Oh so _now_ you want to talk about it?" I bit the inside of my cheek. He was joking. I _knew_ he was joking. But everytime they tried to joke with me I just felt like they were scratching at my raw nerve endings.

Sam wrapped an arm around my shoulders and shook me gently. "Hey, don't get frustrated. We'll figure this out."

I shook his arm off. "That's what everyone keeps saying! You, Dean, Bobby, I'm tired of "We'll figure it out" there's no we!" I could see Dean swallow, setting his burger down across from me. "I'm the one experiencing the headaches; I'm the one terrified of having these damn things because every time I do, something bad happens." I slammed my fist on the table, jolting the silverware; I couldn't help the tears pooling my eyes.

I ignored some of the looks of customers I was gaining attention from. I lowered my voice and continued my rant, not giving a shit. This needed to be said.

"I'm the one who has to see you die," I throw my napkin at Dean; his face solemn, pain etching his gorgeous face. Great. On top of everything I was making him feel bad. "I'm the one who saw Sam being stabbed for days after it happened. I see people attack me; I see bad things happening to good people! I see…I see awful things…" My voice choked up and I looked down at the table, avoiding both of them. "I'm the one who _feels_ it. So stop giving me this stupid 'we' crap."

I could feel Sam's frown with my entire body as I got up to use the bathroom and probably stay there until we left…or until Dean broke the "women's bathroom" barrier and came in to get me.

O0o0o0oo

I approached the table a few minutes after cooling off in the bathroom. Sam and Dean looked up at me expectedly; both of them had looks between concern and irritation on their faces. The irritation instantly faded after seeing me come back to the table.

I swallowed, looking from Dean to Sam before sitting next to my boyfriend. "I…was childish for storming off like that. I'm sorry." I looked up at them, angling myself to face both even though I was seated next to Dean. "And…for the outburst too. Sometimes it just pents up."

Dean ran his hand over my thigh and I looked up at him as he leaned forward and kissed my forehead.

"We understand why you're upset."

I nod softly and I looked at Sam. "But I shouldn't be taking it out on the only people who can help me."

"And who care about you," Sam said softly as I looked into his eyes. "Very much."

Dean nodded, agreeing. "And I know you're worried but we are too. And seeing you in that kind of pain…it affects us just as much as you going through it."

Softly and embarrassed. "I know. I'm sorry."

Sam smiled softly and pushed my French fries across the table. "Apology accepted."

Dean smirked "Yeah, we were wondering if you wanted to try and look into the future and see the winning lotto numbers."

I shoved him. "I can't turn it off and on Dean! I'm not a light switch."

He snorted and fed me a French fry. "I'm joking." I took the fry as he fed me and couldn't help but smile as he tapped my nose with his finger.

"That's my girl. Hope our daughter gets that smile."

I chuckled softly and picked at a few more of my fries. I saw Kary approach the table; total "hit on" eyes flirting with Sam. She leaned down with the pot of coffee. "Can I freshen you up?"

I raised my eyebrows as Sam smiled, awkwardly pushing his little cup towards her. "Yeah, sure. Thanks."

I bit my lip. Why the sudden interest Kary? I nearly rolled my eyes at myself and dipped another French fry before eating it. Who was I kidding? Our waitress, and sometimes even a waiter, noticing the looks of Sam and Dean and tripping over themselves to flirt with them was a regular occurrence when we went out to eat.

Kary smiled the whole time she filled Sam's cup up; then she accidently overfilled it. I bit my lip, holding back a smile as she scrambled to clean up the mess.

"I'm so sorry!"

Sam shook his head, running his hand over the table with his napkin, trying to help the stricken girl. "Oh, no worries. That's okay. I got it."

She sexily, _God the girl was trying hard_, wiped up the coffee with a rag from her band of her waitress uniform and smiled. _"_It's no trouble, really."

And Sam was dumbfounded; just for a moment, to give him any credit. "Okay."

"Sorry about that." She leaned in close to him, Sam leaning back just an inch, as she wiped up the coffee residue. As Kary leaned back up, she gave him a flirtatious smile and turned on her heel, walking back towards to kitchen.

I snorted. "Subtle."

"Dude. If you were _ever _gonna get lucky." Dean smirked and leaned forward, catching one more glimpse of her before she disappeared into the kitchen. I elbowed him and he grunted, leaning back and glaring at me, rubbing his sore side.

"Jealous."

I rolled my eyes. "Of what? I don't need to throw myself all over someone, giggling like an idiot, to attract someone."

"Aw come on Andy, don't sell yourself short," Dean winked at me. "That's how you attracted me."

I laughed and rolled my eyes, sipping my water. Sam chuckled softly and lifted his mug to sip from it. It happened fast. From one slip of his hand, coffee spilled everywhere, including on me. I gasped as hot liquid spilled on my jeans while Sam stood up, trying to avoid the spill. A passing waiter knocked right into Sam avoiding the coffee and fell over, spilling the food and the drinks on waiter's tray all over sitting patrons.

Dean hurriedly grabbed a few napkins and handed them to me. I bit my lip. "Ouch." Sam winced and apologized to me and then to the waiter on the floor.

Dean frowned. "Now how is that good?"

I stood up and padded Sam's pocket and turned it inside out. I looked up at him as I turned out an empty pocket. "Son of a bitch! Kary the waitress pick-pocketed you! I knew she was up to no good! Who flirts with spilling coffee?"

Dean groaned as Sam swallowed and looked extremely guilty. "Congratulations, Andy. You're a detective. Let's go catch the bitch before she gets away."

I resisted pouting at Dean's words and followed him outside, Sam running behind me. 

"Come on. She couldn't have gotten very far." Dean waited for a car to pass before running across the parking lot to get to the Impala.

I ran with him, hearing"oof!", a _crunch_ and a groaning noise from Sam. I stopped on my heel and turned to look at him, chest down on the concrete.

"Wow. You suck." I winced and regretted my little remark as I went to help him up, seeing his skinned knees. "Aw, Sammy."

He winced too, apparently feeling the sting of his skinned knees and the broken skin on his hands.

Dean came up around the other side of us. "So, what, now your luck turns bad?"

Sam swallowed. "I guess."

Dean looked at me and made a face that can only be described as 'oh shit'. "I wonder how bad."

I looked up at Sam, his floppy hair in front of his eyes. I scoffed affectionately and pushed it away from his face. He smiled weakly at me.

"Let's get you to the car."

I walked him through the parking lot, hoping some of my better luck rubbed off on him, and helped him into the car.

O0o0o0o0o

After maneuvering on a new, non-coffee stained pair of jeans in the back of the Impala, I attempted to clean up Sam's clumsiness.

"Hold still." I tore off another band aid with my teeth and cleaned Sam's right knee with the antiseptic and cotton swab.

He gritted his teeth. "Kind of hard when you're doing that."

I smiled up at him as Dean parked the car outside of Grossman's apartment. "Big baby." I looked down at the cut again and put the band aid over it best I could. "You should have taken your pants off for this—"

"Alright, Andy. That's enough naughty nurse from you." Dean pulled the keys out of the ignition, his tone half kidding and half serious.

I laughed. "I meant because the band aid is getting caught on the frayed part of his jeans. It's kind of hard to clean and cover cuts when you have fabric in the way."

"No one volunteered you to be the nurse." Sam commented, cleaning up the stray trash from the first aid kit.

I opened my mouth, offended. "Hey, I was only trying to help!" He smiled and threw a cotton ball at me.

"Maybe you should stay in the car, Sam." Dean said, turning around to look at us. "Bad luck and all…you could get us hurt in there."

"If he stays in here your car it might magically lose its break and back into the truck we're parked in front of…that'd be bad luck Dean."

He glared at me. "Point taken Core. Fine, he can come. But only because my car's well being is at stake and you're babysitting." He got out of the car and I turned my head to see Sam pout a moment.

"I don't need to be babysat."

I chuckled. "Sam…you have Barbie band aids on your skinned knees because you tripped over yourself while running," I grinned. "You need a baby sitter." He rolled his eyes. "Let's go!"

I got out of the car and waited for him to get out before we headed upstairs to confront Grossman. He was taking a swig from a liquor bottle in his hand as we entered the apartment. He looked solemn, upset, and ridiculous in that sombrero on his head.

"Oh, man." He groaned upon seeing us again. "What do you want?"

I looked around the apartment, still a mess from our previous encounter with these two. I went to stand closer to Dean as he spoke about Grossman's friend but then decided against it as I felt Sam shift behind me. Maybe it was better if I stayed closer to him…in case his bad luck decided to make him trip over something or even worse. At least I could help in some way to prevent it…right?

"We know someone hired you to steal the rabbit's foot –a woman." Dean put his gun back in the waistband of his jeans.

Grossman looked skeptical and took another swing from the bottle. "Yeah? How do you know that?"

"Because she just stole it back from us." I could feel Dean glaring at him as he started to laugh, the sombrero sliding to the side of his head as he chuckled.

I was about to just ask with the gun, more like have my gun do the talking instead of my mouth, in the back of Dean's pants but I was distracted…no, tackled by a clumsy cursed Sam. Sam stepped forward to say something to Grossman; probably a puppy look speech that would get him to confess the woman's name, but his foot caught on a wire on the floor.

There went the stereo and a lamp…and a huge Sam right into me. I squealed as knocked into me and I collided to the ground with an '_oof' _and the sound of the light bulb smashing as the lamp fell. I groaned as I felt the entire weight of his body collide into mine against the wooden floor. Oh yeah, definitely some bruising tomorrow.

"Andy, you okay?"

I coughed and tried to push Sam off me. He staggered, trying to get up as well. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Yeah, me too," Sam muttered dryly, holding out a hand to help me up. "Thanks for asking."

"I want you to tell us her name." Dean said, re-directing his attention back to Grossman.

I tried to look around at the back of me to see if I had any glass from the shattered light bulb on my clothes. Sam cocked his head and turned me around and brushed some stray pieces as Dean tired to talk Grossman into telling us who the masked bitch was in the diner. I still couldn't believe we let her swipe that right under our noses.

"Now, if you don't help us stop this thing, that puts those deaths on your head. Now, I can read people. And I get it: you're a thief and a scumbag. That's fine. But you're not a killer. Are you?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o

I looked at Dean as we walked down the steps of Grossman's apartment. "You didn't actually think that _Grey's Anatomy_ inspirational speech was going to work, did you?"

He playfully glared at me. "Quiet you! That speech came from the heart," I let out a giggle and he smiled, "and that show has its strong points…very addicting."

I smiled softly and shook my head, stepping onto the concrete. "You become a girl more and more each day."

He pouted and was about to retort but his cell rang. He dug the phone out of his pocket. "Hello?...Hey Bobby."

Dean nodded at me and I smiled, going over to Sam, who was standing by a grate.

"Bobby, that's great. Except Sam, uh…Sam lost the foot…" Dean winced and held the phone away from his ear as, I'm guessing, Bobby tore him a new one over that fact.

I heard Sam groan and I turned to look at him. "What's the matter?"

He sighed. "I stepped in gum."

I bit my lower lip, trying to hold back some laughter. "Sam…you're saying that like it's the end of the world. It's just gum. Scrape it off on the side of the curb or something."

I turned my attention towards Dean, catching some of his sentence. "And she only gave the guys she hired a name –- probably an alias or something…" He looked at Sam._"_Luigi" or something?"

"Lugosi". Sam corrected, trying to maneuver the back of his shoe against the end of a hole in the street grate.

"Bela Lugosi? That's cute." Dean smirked and I rolled my eyes and looked back at Sam.

"You keep doing that it's going to come off. Just do it on a curb, Sam."

Sam glared at me. "I can scrap gum off—" I just shook my head as his shoe caught on the edge of the grate and flopped off into the grate, splashing into the water below.

I sighed softly and looked at him. "Apparently you can't…"

I've never seen him look so forlorn. He looked like a puppy that had been thrown out of a car in a brown paper bag.

Dean hung up the phone and looked at us. Sam looked up at him, frown in place, he seriously looked like he was about to cry.

"What?" Dean asked, looking from me to Sam.

He looked up at him with a pout, his shoulders sulking. "I lost my shoe."

Dean looked down at his foot and sighed, rolling his eyes. He turned around and headed back to the car. I looked at Sam.

"I told you…"

"Shut up."

I smirked as he snapped at me. "Hey, don't be mean to me…I'll make you walk on the damp ground and puddles to get to the car, Mister Sock."

I grinned at him, heading to the trunk to get another pair of shoes for Sam.

Oo0o0o0o0o0o

"So this…Bela is a hunter?"

Dean shook his head, turning the car right onto another street. "No, she's not a hunter. Knows the ropes of one I suppose, knows enough to avoid them when she's trying to trade some deals."

"So she's…other than a thief she trades with buyers for a high price. Great. So she's a very rich thief." I leaned back against the seat.

"Bobby say where she was putting up house?" Sam asked, looking at Dean as he pulled into a motel.

"He said she was shacking up in Queens. Pretty nice neighborhood too."

"Surprise, surprise." Bitter. Boy did I sound bitter. Nothing wrong with wanting a little money to settle down with. "So what are we doing at a motel if she's in Queens?"

"Sam is staying here because I don't want his bad luck getting us killed."

Sam sighed. "I'm sitting right here you know…and I can hear you."

Dean looked at him. "Right. So get out so we can get a room and lock you up in it. It's the best I can do here, Sam. I don't you getting us killed or you getting hurt. So let's go."

Dean got out of the car and I sighed, following him. "I'll stay with him. Make sure he's okay."

He stopped and looked at me. "Wait, you want to stay with Sam?"

My eyes flickered to Sam as he got out of the car and then back to Dean. "Well…yeah." I swallowed.

Frown lines were prominent around his mouth. "Why? You want his bad luck to deep fry you if you try to use the stove or—"

"You're being dramatic." I cut him off.

"Am I? Come on Andy, it can't be safe for you to stay with him."

"I'm standing right here." Sam sighed.

Dean snapped. "Go get a room."

I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead as Sam wordlessly made his way to the check in desk inside. "Look Dean, yeah it's more dangerous but I think that's why I have to stay. I don't want anything to happen to him."

He sighed. "Fine." He turned to get in the car and I swallowed.

"Wait, Dean…" I touched his arm, pulling him a little towards me. "Don't go away angry." I frowned.

"Andy, I get you don't want him to get hurt but—"

"Dean, he's all I have." He looked at me—hurt, anger, confusion—so many emotions in his eyes. I let go of his arm and looked at the ground. "After you…he's—he'll be all I have. I can't let anything happen to him." My voice grew softer and softer as I spoke, the last word out of my mouth so quiet that a car horn blare down the street blocked out the sound.

He swallowed, leaning over and kissing my forehead. The wind whipping through the parking let brought his scent to my nose. I breathed in deeply.

Softly—maybe a bit strained. "I'll be back."

I nodded once as he pulled back, getting in the car and driving away. The words "be careful" frozen between my tongue and my lips. I sniffled, wiped the single stray tear from my cheek and went inside.

O0o0o0o0o0o

I found the room Sam was in by asking the check in desk. I pushed the door open and looked at Sam.

His eyebrows twitched, frown lines appearing. Both of these boys were too gorgeous to be frowning all the time.

"What's wrong?"

I shook my head. "Nothing."

I closed to door and took a chair from the small table by the closet door and set it in the center of the room. "Sit. Don't move—don't even scratch your nose."

He rolled his eyes and sat down. "What if I need to sneeze?"

I smirked softly and grabbed another chair, sitting across from him. "Don't do that either, who knows what will happen—you might set me on fire or something."

His lips lifted, this time smiling at me.

I smiled back and took my jacket off, setting it on the bed.

"Dean mad at you?"

I shrugged one shoulder. "What gave that away?" Sarcasm hanging on all my words.

He smiled. "Come on—think I don't know what angry or sad looks like on your face after all these years?"

I swallowed and looked at my knees, trying to find something interesting about them to avoid eye contact.

Sam went on anyways, regardless of not having my attention. "Your cheeks flush, your eyes dim—not as bright of a blue or something. Your mouth has a permanent frown line around it," I touched my lips as he spoke, "and your nose crinkles."

I touched my nose then and looked at him. He smiled and gave a small smirk. "Just a little."

I scoffed and shook my head. "Fine, I'm upset. Dean is mad at me because I wanted to stay with you."

He frowned. "To babysit?"

"No…well yes," I frowned too and sighed. "not exactly. I wanted to make sure you…stayed okay. I mean, I think you're highly capable, I just—" _Why_ was this so hard to get out? "…and everything…I mean, of course you are—you're a hunter." Sam raised his eyebrows. "You grew up with me."

He slowly smiled. "I know Andy…I was there; you don't have to remind me."

I glared. Great now he was teasing. "I'm just saying—"

Sam nodded, bringing his hand up to stop my talking. "Please stop rambling," He chuckled. "I get it."

"…you do?" How could he have possibly followed that?

"Yeah," he smiled, head cocking to the side. "Yeah, I get it."

I smiled and felt and probably looked a lot more relieved. "Good."

It was silent for a while, just the sounds of Sam and I breathing in the room. The heat kicked on from the furnace every once in a while and I could hear the wind whip through a crack or hole in the window.

"Look," Sam said, breaking the silence. I leaned forward to place my elbows on my knees. "I know you told me to let go of this Ruby thing but, Andy…"

I shook my head, getting up to pace. "No Sam."

He sighed and tried again. "Andy."

"_No_," I glared at him. "You don't get to—has my dad and John taught you nothing? Go to a demon, really? What are you on?"

He leaned back in the chair. He looked offended. "Don't look at me like that, don't look at me like-like I'm some type of freak for thinking about this."

I closed my eyes. "I wasn't—"

He cut me off. "Because honestly, you'd think you'd be on the bandwagon with this-or at least contemplate it! If this is the _only_ way to save Dean, I say let's take it! And don't bring up John, Andy. Seriously? Are you forgetting about _how_ John died?"

"A demon deal." I opened my eyes.

He stood and pointed at me. "To save Dean! In any way he could, even if it was making a deal with a demon. We have to _try_."

I just shook my head and looked away from him as he approached me. He put his hands on my arms and squeezed softly until I looked at him. I swallowed.

"I'm already—Dean told us to drop this. If he found out we were _still_ considering a demon to save him…" I felt a tear slide down my cheek. God I had grown upset over this much quicker than I realized. "He'd be livid and I don't want the last memory I have of him to be how pissed he is at me."

Sam frowned softly, running his thumbs over my arms.

"And he _will_ figure out that we're still on this. He's not stupid." I wiped the tear off my cheek and Sam sighed softly, leaning forward to hug me.

No matter how angry he was, he could never stand to see me cry. And I could tell he was pretty mad about this. He wanted to save Dean, so bad, just like I did. I had to remember that.

I leaned into his hug. My voice was muffled by his shirt as I spoke. "If Ruby wants a deal—one of us will have to say yes. And I can't bear to lose you too."

Sam placed his lips on my head. "And if she has another way?"

I pulled back and looked up at him, swallowing as our lips were inches apart. I looked down at his lips and licked my own. He leaned in painfully slow—

And I didn't move until I saw a flicker of something bright out of the corner of my eye. I gasped. FIRE.

"Sam!"

He leaned back quickly and gaped at the curtain on fire, the heater near the window smoking. How could we have been so busy arguing that we forget Sam was a walking bad luck charm?

I ran to the window and tried to pull down the other curtain to pat the fire out. "Damn your bad luck!" I looked at him. "Help me!"

He rushed into action, like all he needed was my voice to signal him. He grabbed the comforter and ran to the flames, patting it until it went out. I let out a sigh and my eyes widened.

"Sam, your arm!"

He raised his arm, which had also caught the flame. How _unlucky_. He let out a strangled cry and I rushed to put it out with the comforter.

Of course, he tripped on the comforter, it got wrapped around his foot somehow as he flailed in effort to put the flame out even though I was _trying_ to help. Good news was, I got the flame out.

Bad news… "Sam!" I squealed as he tripped and fell foreword on me. I lost my balance as he collided with me and fell back, hitting my head off the window sill.

I was out before my body hit the ground, Sam's body falling on top of me.

O0o0o0o0o0o0

I groaned softly and slowly lifted my head. The back of my head throbbed with a pain that had to be inhuman. I winced as the bright lights of the hotel room felt like pins in my eyes. I heard Sam groan and say something about Gordon.

Gordon? What? Who was he talking to…God, if I could just get my eyes to open all the way. I was still on the floor, as far as I could tell. It felt like scratchy carpet rubbing against the back of my arms.

I heard a slap against skin, something hard and fast…and then Sam groaning. I had to get up. I had to help. Someone was here hurting Sam. I slowly turned my head to look at the direction of the sound…and that was my downfall.

A man no taller than Dean…and as far from attractive has one could get if we were still comparing him to Dean yanked my arm to pull me up.

I yelped as he pulled me up and roughly held him against me. "Oh look who's awake."

"Don't you touch her." Sam spat. He was blurry. Fuck my eyes.

I tried to rub them but the asshole who was holding onto me forced me into the chair I had been before the fire.

"We won't," Asshole two responded, I rubbed my eyes and that made it clearer. "As long as you talk with us and stop trying to avoid our questions. Now Gordon told me about you, Sam –- about your powers. You're some kind of weirdo, psychic freak."

Sam sighed and I winced softly as my head started pounding again. "No, not anymore. No powers, no visions, nothing."

Before I could even move or know what the hell was going on, Asshole one ripped my shirt at the shoulder, tugging it away and I screamed as he ran the blade of a knife over my shoulder. Blood seeped through the cut, running down my shoulder and over my chest.

"Hey! _Stop_ it," Sam struggled against the ropes tying him to the chair. "You son of a _bitch_!" He screamed. "I told you I didn't—"

"Now, no more lies." Asshole two warned. "Or she'll get a matching one on her other shoulder."

I tried not to whimper as I gathered up the ripped part of the shirt, balled it together the best I could and pressed it against the seeping wound. I bit my lip hard and could feel Sam's eyes on me as he breathed in, pissed to high heaven.

"There's an army of demons out there, pushing at a world already on the brink."

Sam wasn't even listening to him; all he could do was stare at my shoulder. He was probably wondering if I needed stitches or not…I didn't think it was that deep.

"We're on deck for the end game here, right? So, maybe –- just maybe –- you can understand why we can't take chances."

When Asshole two raised his gun, I gasped. "Whoa, okay. Just hold on a minute."

"Kubrick—" Asshole one said, slowly…unsure.

"Kubrick, is it?" I asked, he looked at me. "Look, you don't want to do this. Gordon is a lying bastard. You'd be killing an innocent person."

"No." He then looked at Asshole one. "You saw what happened, Creedy."

Creedy? Kubrick? God their mothers had a sense of humor while naming them. God I should have seen this coming. Fuck. What the hell did I have visions for if I couldn't prevent this from happening? I should have been looking up the name Kubrick as soon as I had that vision at Bobby's house.

"Ask yourself: why are we here?" He continued, waving the gun a little. "Because you saw a picture on the Web? Because we chose this motel instead of another? Luck like that doesn't just happen."

I swallowed. "Actually…"

"Look, I can explain all of this—" Sam tried, interrupting me.

"Shut up." Kubrick spat and Sam swallowed, shutting his mouth. He eyed the gun like it was a poisonous snake ready to strike.

"It's God, Creedy. He led us here for one reason: to do his work. This is destiny."

I rolled my eyes and squeezed my shoulder. "Oh come on? God? Out of all people, he wants you two chuckleheads to do his holy work? Please." I snorted and Sam cleared his throat, his eyes widening.

"_Andy_."

Kubrick turned the gun towards me and I swallowed. "And what do you know about God, missy."

"I know he's not reaching down and stroking your ego. Get over yourself."

"She's right you know." I sighed, relived as I heard Dean's voice. I craned my neck to turn and see him come in through the door and aim his gun at Kubrick. "No destiny. Just a rabbit's foot."

Kubrick scoffed. "Put the gun down, son, or you're gonna be scraping your brain off the wall." He sneered.

Dean smirked and gestured to his gun. "Oh, this thing? Okay." He put his gun down.

"_Dean_." I panicked and looked at Sam, who looked just as dumbfounded as I did.

"But you see, there's something about me that you don't know." Dean continued, picking up a random pen on the table near the door.

Kubrick sighed, fed up. He turned around and aimed his gun at Dean instead. "Yeah? What would that be?"

Dean grinned. "It's my lucky day."

He flicked his wrist and threw the pen at Kubrick and all the while I was thinking: _this is it. My stupid ass boyfriend is going to die because of a pen._But to my utter surprise, forgetting we had a magic rabbit's foot at our disposal, the pen flew right into the barrel of the gun, jamming it. My eyes widened to the point where it felt like they'd burst out of my head.

"Oh, my God! Did you see that shot?" Dean was pretty shocked himself and I just looked at Sam, his mouth wide open, matching the shocked expression my eyes were holding.

Though Dean's shock quickly shifted to being totally pleased with himself as Creedy went to punch him and all he did was step aside. Creedy ran into the wall and knocked _himself_ out.

The next part had Dean making a face that was just so thoroughly pleased; it looked like he thought he invented the idea of badass moves.

Just as Kubrick removed the pen, Dean picked up a remote on the same table and wailed it at him. It hit his head and he collapsed to the floor.

He smirked at me. "I'm Batman."

I rolled my eyes and went over to Sam, trying to undo the ropes holding him to the chair. God my shoulder was on fire. "Yeah…you're batman alright."

I ignored his pout and motioned him to get over here. "Stop pouting batman and get out some type of bat-knife and undo these ropes."

O0o0o0o0o

"So, Bela right? She's a thief."

"And a high class bitch, one in the same I guess." Dean grunted, walking past a gravestone.

"Hmm." I said softly, walking in the grass next to Sam. I shifted the bag on my other shoulder, the one that asshole didn't cut into. "So she's not a good thief then…"

Dean smirked and turned his head to look at me. "Good thief? Come on, Andy."

I sighed softly. "Look, guys, I'm telling you. She's not like it seems. I mean, you should have seen…" I licked my lips as Dean stopped in a patch of grass and put his bag down. He slugged off his leather jacket and put it on a grave.

"Just, if she was the little girl I saw in my vision, there's something off with her. Something…dark and confused." I frowned and looked up at them. "Sad." I admitted softly.

"She didn't look sad when she was shooting at me." Dean commented wryly, starting a small fire with small blocks of wood he set in a circle of stones.

I sighed softly. "Well that's what I mean, something happened to her and now she's all…mean and gun happy."

Sam smirked and took the ingredients out of the bag. "All right. Bone ash, cayenne pepper and…" He sprinkled the contents over the fire, muttering something in Latin; the fire glowed a bright blue and then returned to normal, "that should do it."

I saw Dean scratch a lottery ticket while leaning onto one of the gravestones. "That's disrespectful you know."

Sam sighed and tried to go towards him but he looked up. "Hey, back off, Jinx. I'm bringing home the bacon."

He smiled and put the tickets in his jacket pocket and came over with the rabbit's foot over the fire.

"All right. Say goodbye, Wascally Wabbit."

I smiled softly and leaned into Dean's side. "Poor bunny."  
A small pout came over my mouth and he smirked and rubbed small circles into my back.

"I think you'll find that belongs to me." I frowned as I heard a female British voice; I turned and stood beside Dean, looking at…

"Oh, you must be Bela." I said softly.

She smiled softly and shrugged. "Well, not exactly mine but… whatever. Put the foot down, honey." She raised her gun and clicked off the safety.

I tensed and looked at Dean. He smirked softly. "No. You're not gonna shoot anybody. See, I happen to be able to read people."

I licked my lower lip. "Bela, look, this rabbit's foot—"

"Is worth a lot of money sweetheart, if you think I'm just going to let you light it on fire…you are sadly mistaken."

Dean's hand didn't move from holding the rabbit's foot over the fire.

I tried again. "Bela, come on. Is money really the most important thing to you? How the hell did you become so—?"

A shot rang out and I screamed at the searing pain in my shoulder. The shot itself almost made me fall over, my feet tripping over themselves. I felt Sam rush up behind me, holding me up as my legs turned into jello.

"Son of a—" Dean shouted, moving forward to—knock the bitch out. And I was done caring what happened to her. She fucking shot me!

I moaned softly as Sam took his jacket off and pressed it into the wound. "Ow." I hissed and leaned into him.

"Your girlfriend talks far too much."

She then aimed the gun at Dean and everything got deafeningly quiet. All one could hear was the fire crackling and very small whimpers that escaped my tight lips.

"Back off. You make one more move, and I'll pull the trigger. You've got luck, Dean." She smiled, it was bitter. "You, I can't hit. But your brother and girlfriend? Them, I can't miss."

Dean's teeth ground together as he spoke. "What the hell is wrong with you? You don't just go around shooting people like that!"

"Relax. It's a shoulder hit. I can aim." I looked at her as Sam held his jacket on my shoulder. He squeezed tight, trying to stop the bleeding. When I whimpered he whispered a sorry.

Holy fuck; I was not looking forward to a game of "digging the bullet out" when we returned to Bobby's.

"Besides," Bela continued. "Who here hasn't shot a few people?"

She smirked softly at me and I glared at her, ready to reach in my bag and shoot her goddamn head off. Sam's hands tensed on my shoulder and I hissed, turning to look at him. It was like he could read the anger rolling off my body in waves. Yeah, yeah, I was a hypocrite. I got it. I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but if she was going to shoot us and not listen to reason why should _I_ lead with benefit instead of bullets.

"Put the rabbit's foot on the ground, _now_." I watched Dean sigh and take a step back.

"All right!" He put his hands up a moment. "All right, take it easy."

Dean started to bend down to rest the rabbit's foot on the ground, and then jerked up, throwing it. "Head's up!" He called quickly.

Bela gasped and faltered with her gun, using her hand to catch the rabbit's foot. I smirked.

"Dumb move, bitch." I muttered through gritted teeth. The pain was unbearable, moving just from my shoulder and into my entire body.

She closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "Son of a bitch."

Dean smirked and waved his hand towards the fire. "Now, what do you say we destroy that ugly-ass piece of dead thing?"

She sighed again and tossed the foot into the fire, blue flames licking the fur. "Thanks very much. I'm out one and a half million, and on the bad side of a very powerful, fairly psychotic buyer."

I smirked. "Wow. I really don't feel bad about that. What about you two?"

Sam smiled and Dean shrugged. "Nope. Not even a little."

"Hm. Maybe next time, I'll hang _you_ out to dry." Bela lamented dryly, leaning on Dean's jacket as she put her gun away.

I grunted as Sam pulled the shirt away to dry and get a look at my shoulder. Dean turned to look at me and then at Bela, waving her off. "Aw, please. Don't go away angry. Just go away."

Bela smiled at me as Dean came around the other side of me, tugging my shirt as well to try and get a look at my wound. I just shook my head. I thought there…I just thought there was something redeemable in her and I was so wrong. I was, wasn't I? Had the bullet in my shoulder to prove it?

"Have a nice night." She said, her British drawl hanging on the end of her words. It just occurred to me that she had been using an American accent in the diner.

She smirked and walked away. "Ow, Dean! Stop poking me."

He looked up at me as Sam went to put the fire out after the foot finished burning. "I'm not poking you; I'm sliding the skin back a little so I can see…"

"The gaping wound? Yeah, Dean, whatever you're doing _hurts_. There's a bullet in there!"

He smirked. "Don't be bitchy, Andy."

I pouted as he put Sam's jacket back on my shoulder and squeezed hard. "It hurts."

He smiled softly and kissed my forehead. "I know. We should get you home to get that out of there."

Dean put his arm around me as we walked up to Sam, who gathered the bags. "I guess we're back to normal now, huh? No good luck, no bad luck."

I shrugged with my good shoulder. "More bad luck then good…but yeah. We have Advil in the car?"

"Well its either Advil now or alcohol when we stitch you up."

I sighed. "Decisions, decisions." Sam chuckled and I smiled at him.

"Oh! I forgot." Dean smiled and dug in his jacket pocket. "We're up forty-six thousand dollars. I almost forgot about the scratch tickets!"

I smirked softly and shook my head. "I can't believe you used the luck to win scratch tickets."

He patted his pockets. "Well yeah! We need the money; we're not exactly living the good life with our credit card scams and pool games."

"Which we cheat at." Sam smiled slowly at him.

Dean's smile faded as he pulled his hand out of his pocket.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, leaning against the door of the Impala as Sam put the bags in the trunk.

"Son of a bitch!" He yelled and I winced.

Sam scoffed. "She took the tickets didn't she?"

Dean just glared, swore a number of profanities and helped me into the car.

0o0o0o0o0o

I woke up in a hazy state. My shoulder stung from the stitches Dean put in from the moment we got back to Bobby's. I turned my head to squint at the time. I rubbed my eyes and the red dots actually became numbers. Oh the joys and haziness of good vodka. Three in the morning.

I slowly pulled myself out of Dean's arms and went into the bathroom. I did not feel good but I refused to vomit. I was hot and sweaty; part from the vodka and the other from the dull heat radiating from the stitches on my shoulder. I slowly took off my shirt and fixed my tank top underneath.

I put cold water on a washcloth and dabbed my face, taking off the slight sheen of sweat on my face. I sighed and put the washcloth on the tub and came out of the bathroom, turning the light off. The nightlight on the side wall near the door dimly illuminated some parts of the room.

I went over to the crib and smiled at a sleeping Riley. I pulled up her blanket over her chest, smoothing out the demon's trap sewn onto the smooth fabric. I gently ran my hand over her head and looked at Dean lying in bed on his chest, breathing out and in. His arm was over where I slept, like he was looking for me in his sleep.

I needed a cup of water.

I slowly went downstairs and through the hallway and heard mumblings of a TV from the living room. Was someone awake?

I poked my head into the living room and saw Sam sprawled out on the couch in his drawstring pajama bottoms and a crisp white t-shirt. A maroon blanket was over his legs. He turned his head as he saw me walk into the room.

The dim blue light of the television danced on his face. "Hey." He smiled softly.

"Hi." My voice was groggy and cracking in several places. "Couldn't sleep?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Late night re-runs of _Grey's Anatomy_ was too tempting to ignore."

I smiled slowly and went over to sit on the edge of the wooden coffee table across from him.

"What about you?"

"I came down for some water." I yawned. "I'm overheated."

Sam sat up and leaned over to look at my stitches. "The light sucks in here but they don't look inflamed or anything. So that's good. No infection. I'll get you some water." He stood and headed into the kitchen.

I covered my mouth as another yawn escaped me and I sat on the couch. Sam's feet padded through the hallway and came in with my water. I took it as he sat back in his seat in the corner of the couch.

I sipped it and licked my lips. "So _Grey's Anatomy_ huh?"

He smiled and bumped shoulders with me. "Yeah, wanna join for a little?"

I smirked and finished the water. I set the cup down on the wooden table and put my legs up on the couch, leaning my shoulder into his. "Yeah, sure."

I was falling asleep on him before the episode was even half over. I felt him pull the blankets over me and turn the volume down just a bit more before I completely fell asleep.


End file.
